Cllr Kemp Calls Time on Classical Music "Quick Fix" in Whitechapel

Liverpool Liberal Democrat Councillor Richard Kemp has written to the Chief Constable and the Leader of Liverpool City Council, calling on them to immediately stop blasting classical music through the streets of Whitechapel as a way of moving on street gangs.

Cllr Kemp has condemned the tactic as a heavy-handed and counterproductive approach, saying it smacks of inverted snobbery and risks entrenching a damaging "them and us" attitude towards classical music, rather than tackling the real issues at hand.

Instead, Cllr Kemp is urging the Council and Police to get behind the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic's In Harmony programme, which is already bringing live music into some of Liverpool's most deprived communities — both during the day and in the evenings.

Cllr Kemp, who has met with the police on Allerton Road to work to tackle anti-social behaviour in that area, was clear about his approach:

"I will not be asking them to belt out Bach and Beethoven along the street, much as I might like that personally. Instead, I will be seeking to work with them on practical programmes which involve schools, businesses, and communities in practical actions to alleviate the problem - rather than multiply it."

Cllr Kemp believes this community-based approach is what the Police, Council, and their partners should be delivering — not just in Whitechapel, but right across the city.