And so we move to security.
Posted: 28 May 2017, 09:59
Following Manchester it has become the new political hot-potato.
Mrs May is offering a new Commission for Countering Extremism whilst Mr Corbyn is offering 10,000 more police officers, 500 border guards and 1,000 MI 5/6 officers. A Commission with "proper teeth and a clear remit" to "stamp out" extremism means what? And while 11,500 extra officers sounds like a lot it thins down to next to nothing when spread out over 24/7/365 to make 65 million of us secure.
However, if we took politics out of it and were to ask the public which they would prefer I will bet precious body parts that most would go for boots on the ground.
The problem I have with both of these is that they will be meaningless until we actually act strongly and without fear or favour. Both things might help a little, but what we really need is a wholesale change in how we deal with the problem.
Mrs May is offering a new Commission for Countering Extremism whilst Mr Corbyn is offering 10,000 more police officers, 500 border guards and 1,000 MI 5/6 officers. A Commission with "proper teeth and a clear remit" to "stamp out" extremism means what? And while 11,500 extra officers sounds like a lot it thins down to next to nothing when spread out over 24/7/365 to make 65 million of us secure.
However, if we took politics out of it and were to ask the public which they would prefer I will bet precious body parts that most would go for boots on the ground.
The problem I have with both of these is that they will be meaningless until we actually act strongly and without fear or favour. Both things might help a little, but what we really need is a wholesale change in how we deal with the problem.