I send my condolences to the family members of those killed by the assailant yesterday and my best wishes for a speedy recovery to all those injured. The death of a policeman is especially sad. It reminds us of the risks some state employees run in the course of duty, and strengthens public gratitude for their service.
It is right that Parliament resumes its work today. The Prime Minister spoke well on how we should respond.
March 23, 2017
Sadly yesterday was a reminder that many seek to do us harm in our own Country.
My thoughts are with the victims and their families, of such action.
March 23, 2017
May did not respond well as you say. Empty hollow words repeated Year in year out without any substantive action to tackle the issues which led to this tragedy. How many times I read today from the public that action would be taken if the offender had entered parliament. Hold your heads in shame.
March 23, 2017
and what action would you propose which is not already being taken?
March 24, 2017
We need to halt immigration and the drive to be multi-cultural.
Our existing laws must be applied equally to all our citizens.
March 23, 2017
JR: “The events at Westminster yesterday”
The “events”? “those killed “, Do you mean murdered?
But it was good to see that there were more police than you can shake a stick at swarming around Westminster yesterday. Despite you already living and working in a fortress.
The BBC reported that the attacker ( I’ll call him a murderer, since there is a high chance that his actions were premeditated, especially given his actions after leaving the vehicle ), that the attacker shouted something when he left the vehicle, the BBC were strangely silent on what exactly he was heard to have shouted.
Any idea?
March 23, 2017
@APL
People are being horrifically murdered on the streets of London and all we get is platitudes.
The political class have their collective heads in the sand.
March 23, 2017
They have boxed themselves in with their incremental laws designed to quietly destroy the ethnocentricity of the state and promote the “other” as (at least) equal.So,don’t expect them to do anything other than,as you say,mouth platitudes and have a few extra armed police on the streets for a few extra days.
March 23, 2017
The MPs should accept that they cannot sort out schools where radicalization is occurring, those highlighted by HMI schools inspectorate, so the empty hollow words by the politicos are becominga meaningless routine daily occurrence while they sit on their hands. Meanwhile former politicos are at the funeral of McGuiness! The public are becoming very frustrated. Multiculturalism does not work. MP s need to accept the inevitably of their liberal idiotic actions.
March 23, 2017
Cameron said multiculturalism doesn’t work.Merkel said multiculturalism doesn’t work.And what did they do next?
March 24, 2017
This is one of the reasons why I like Brexit. We need to re-establish British culture at its best / to restore patriotism – real love for country (arts, public buildings, countryside, and really remember British ‘heroes’ such as Churchill and the generation of WW2, Jane Austen, Samuel Johnson, Wilberforce, Sir Joseph Bazalgette, General Slim, Sir Thomas More, John Cadbury, Ray Davies and others).
What I can’t understand is the philistine-thinking of SOME in the Tory party who want to get rid of the BBC, when the BBC (its arts side), could act (and does act) as an important glue, gluing the British people together, and helping to create a sense of patriotism (and could be run much better in the future). Not just that, but the arts / culture helps to reduce dysfunctionality in society – with dysfuctionality costing the tax-payer more, in terms of dysfunctionality leading to crime, ill-health and so on.
We all want patriotism restored, but i think SOME Tories haven’t a clue how to go about it. But they’re too conditioned into thinking it’s all about the money and the economy (important as that is, there’s far more, and you can’t create sense of patriotism if you just focus on money / economy (or politics). Arts / culture is just important, if not more.
March 24, 2017
More importantly, my thoughts and prayers to those who died and their families, and all those injured, and thanks to the police and emergency services.
March 24, 2017
And then there is the argument that supporting the arts, such as in BBC, actually helps the private, commercial creative industry (there is a close connection – people in private sector love the high standard of training and experience people get in the BBC but there’s much more than this), bringing important tax receipts to the inland revenue, and so helping the taxpayer!
Therefore supporting the BBC (arts) and arts in general actually helps the taxpayer overall, as well as contributing to patriotism, and helping to imbue the British people with a bit more soul, character, humour and wit.
March 24, 2017
Sorry, just to be clear, BBC (arts, documentaries) helps tax payer in two ways:
1) It reduces dysfunctionality in society, which reduces amount of crime, ill-health etc that saves the taxpayer bills on NHS etc
2) It helps the private, creative industry so bringing more tax receipts to the inland revenue, reducing burden on tax-payer.
Already, I have defeated those Tories who think the BBC is a costly tax burden (the opposite, in the long-term / indirectly we save more).
It also helps to build up patriotism in two ways:
1) BBC (arts, documentaries etc) brings British people together. Something good we can all share in.
2) Good television helps to imbue the British people with more soul, character, humour and wit which just makes us love our country that bit more.
Therefore, i believe it’s strongly ANTI-CONSERVATIVE to destroy the BBC (yes, to challenging its left/liberal journalism – not talking about that but no to destroying things like BBC’s excellent 2005 production of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, and many other programmes, which only an organisation independent of commercial pressures could make, and we can also challenge the BBC to be better).
March 24, 2017
The BBC produces some good things very occasionally, but most of it is lefty, magic money tree, dumbed down, PC, climate alarmist, anti-science, propaganda from over paid second rate art graduates.
It is also very unfair competition, just like the dire NHS, state schools, social housing ……
March 25, 2017
The BBC is infected by lefties from top to bottom. And the arty ones are some of the worst. You can not now watch a programme of any genre which is not infected with right on PC propaganda. And people the John Redwood, his party and his government think we should go on paying for that drivel at ever increasing rates on pain of imprisonment indefinitely. 90% of it should be sold off or closed.
March 25, 2017
Ed Mahony: “It reduces dysfunctionality in society, which reduces amount of crime, ”
Then you ought to be able to produce some hard facts and figures to support these assertions, as opposed to one of the alternatives, simply locking up criminals so they can’t commit a second crime.
Or, and seeing as the Government has taken upon itself the role of chief educator in our country.
Reducing the level of illiteracy in the country, by improving the education system.
For example: In 2016 the OECD reported that the United Kingdom ranks twenty third in the literacy rankings behind among others, Korea, France and Germany.
AND twenty second behind those same countries for numeracy.
Given that the illiterate and innumerate are overwhelmingly represented in the criminal population ..
Perhaps if the numeracy and literacy rates were improved, more people would be better able to make their own informed choices about the Arts?
March 23, 2017
This was totally predictable, and its only due to our Police and Security services that it hasnt happened before.
I send my condolences to the families of those who were killed and injured.
As far as I’m concerned the less said by those at the top of Government, the better!
March 23, 2017
I think the media give too much “oxygen of publicity” to these mass murderers. Of course they find it exciting and thrilling, and they love wallowing in hours and hours of rolling “news” about it. But they are further endangering the public by advertising it to the extent they do, and they are also damaging the tourist industry.
March 23, 2017
JR. Nice comments and I share your condolences to the families, but frankly it is unsurprising this has happened at all…we are all aware of the consequences of Government actions!
The question is: what is the Government going to do about this particular atrocity and how is the Government going to ensure it does not happen again? Very tired of hearing simple platitudes…where is the action plan?
You were in business, as am I “MD”…and I am only interested in a sensible plan of action that can be executed post haste, not words!
March 24, 2017
Dennis Zoff: “we are all aware of the consequences of Government actions! ”
Or non actions.
And Yes we are aware how has subjected us to this unnecessary risk.
March 23, 2017
I share your sympathy for those affected by yesterday’s cowardly murders.
Now that all those MPs, Peers, Civil Servants, etc, have potentially had their lives saved by a policeman who – in turn – lost his life, do you think there’s a possibility of increasing and ringfencing spending for security services (military and civilian)? You managed to do that for the foreign aid budget so why not for our security and protection?
March 23, 2017
JR
Hope this doesn’t lower the tone or sentiment of your topic but perhaps if our elected officials felt more like targets themselves on a regular basis then they might be more honest with the policies ( and I’m thinking of multiculturalism particularly) that they foist upon the rest of us.
March 23, 2017
Eventually Mrs May will have to admit that it does have something to do with Islam.
March 23, 2017
. . . “their adopted. . . “. Sorry.
March 23, 2017
Steady Denis, only two politicians I know tell the unpalatable truth. Trump/Farage. The rest are just……….hot air and appeasement.
March 24, 2017
Dear Mr Redwood – these comments have been overtaken by further reports and add nothing to the debate. May I ask you to delete them?
Nick Guitard
March 23, 2017
Maybe now our government will think seriously about who the real enemy is within the state and here i’m thinking about the extremists both foreign and domestic who have become radicalised. The former if on a police watch list and were born overseas despite their UK connections should be expelled and any Uk documentation held by them including UK passports confiscated..the other home grown radicals if considered dangerous enough by the police should be arrested and interned on some island sonewhere far away and for as long as it takes..i’m afraid we have fot too long been concentrating too much of late on EU matters that we are forgetting who the real enemy is…
March 23, 2017
The government will not even sort out the schools that cause radicalization! It has done nothing of value for voting fraud. It does nothing substantive to punish hate preachers and allows fanatics back in the country after fighting their religious wars! It even tries to prevent fanatics leaving without locking them up. In contrast suppresses free speech and free press. Khan expressed the view as London mayor it is part and parcel for living in a city, today sings a different tune and we are expected to believe him. Complete and utter idiots.
March 23, 2017
Everyone spoke well. It now remains for the government to fill in the background to this murderous evil event, and then tell us what steps they are going to take to drastically reduce the chances of any similar further occurrence.
March 23, 2017
I do feel strongly that our politicians have been very short sited with our
security. Security is maintained largely by being able to identify people.
This is no longer possible due to our open borders.
How do they expect our security services to cope with this mess
March 23, 2017
The assailant was born in Kent.
RIP to the victims and thoughts with the families.
March 23, 2017
He was born in Kent on this occasion. Look into the future and ask
yourself Are we in a strong position to maintain security with
open borders ?
We have been very Lucky largely because we are an Island
March 23, 2017
He wasn’t British, that’s the problem
March 24, 2017
That’s what they wanted you to say, that’s why they did it.
March 23, 2017
I was both angry and very sad at the happenings yesterday ; it only goes to show how vigilant we must all be all of the time . There are many individuals living in this country who not only do not respect our way of life and traditions but who believe they have some sort of right to impose theirs .
I sincerely hope our intelligence agencies are able to step up their programme of monitoring and surveillance and bring to justice all those of potential danger . We have to show that we mean business and will not succumb to terrorism .
March 24, 2017
Sadly I have to say they cannot step anything up because there are no
more resources so your quite correct we live on hope alone
March 23, 2017
Politicians have taken our security for granted for a very long time.
They have no answers other than to call for tolerance.
Denial and tolerance has made us all very vulnerable
March 24, 2017
John. You are being played by the politicians to cry out for more security. Have you heard of the Hegel dialectic? Problem, reaction, solution. Dont fall for it. We all hate Islamic radicals but they are being used to advance the communists agenda.
March 23, 2017
John
What definitive course of action has ever emerged from a COBRA meeting?
Such meetings seem to be convened to address the crisis of the day but apart from the secretive waffling from relevant participants what are the positive outcomes? Enlightenment from you would be welcome.
March 23, 2017
I heard Alan Johnson on the news today say that as a vote was going on the Members had only 12 minutes to get to the voting lobbies, so the gates were opened to allow Cabinet ministers etc to roar in, in their limos to vote. These gates are apparently manned by unarmed policemen and the criminal was said to have been shot by a close protection officer of a Cabinet Minister who just happened to be there. What would have happened if he had not been there?
This foolishness must be known (it is now) by our enemies and is a nonsense. Serious questions must be asked. About time parliament came into the 21st century and voted electronically from wherever they may be. No policeman deserves to pay for ancient tradition with his life. The recent series on the Lords on telly shows what a farce this voting system is and our parliament must we be the laughing stock of the world what with stockings and silver buckle shoes, wigs and carrying sticks in a procession.
Reply Your details are not all correct. One of the big advantages in voting in person is the opportunity to have short conversations with Ministers/Shadow Ministers about what matters without officials and staffers present, and to organise more formal meetings thereafter.
March 25, 2017
A great reply John.
March 23, 2017
Apart from becoming an armed police state, having restrictions on movement and free speech… everything’s peachy !
I am utterly sick of liberals defending what amounts to alien ultra-conservatism to the detriment of the rest of us.
March 23, 2017
John … please can I suggest an edit. Replace ‘killed’ with ‘murdered’.
March 24, 2017
I share your sentiments of course.
I am surprised at some of the vitriol expressed by several of your respondents to ‘the government’. It seems to me that they (both Labour and Conservative) have kept us safe from these kinds of atrocities for some twelve years, apart from the murderous attack on two soldiers and this latest incident, both of which were, apparently, organised by the perpetrators themselves and without help from ‘ISIS’.
March 24, 2017
Mr Redwood, might I be allowed, belatedly, to send my condolences and support to the families of all those killed, injured and otherwise affected by what they witnessed during and in the aftermath. My silence since Tuesday has been simply due being away from a computer and not even having access to a IP connection either.