Islington South and Finsbury MP Emily Thornberry comes out in support of fabric

What we need is for club owners and the police to work together, not against each other, in order to make whatever reasonable and appropriate changes are required to mitigate the risks as much as possible. Having met with the owners of Fabric just this week, I have every confidence that they are ready and willing to do exactly this. However, some of what is being asked of them seems to me to be neither reasonable nor appropriate; the expectation to change both the club’s name and the type of music it plays cannot be justified. I was also extremely concerned to learn that—despite being sent weekly reports by the management of Fabric detailing the times, locations and descriptions of those dealing drugs in the area around the club—even when the police have arrested suspects as a result, prosecutions have been dropped. I appreciate the licensing committee has a very difficult decision to make on Tuesday, but whilst the question of safety must remain paramount, I sincerely believe that the closure of Fabric cannot be the answer. It may be easy and, in some quarters, it may be popular, but that does not make it right.