MPs 'must review shooting policy'

This should not really be news, should it? In a Parliamentary democracy, only Parliament can make new laws. If police are to be given power to shoot people dead without warning on suspicion, that needs legislation. There is no current defence to murder based on the exercise of executive power. Every policeman who acts on the "policy" is therefore guilty of murder unless he happens to have another defence (e.g. self-defence, provocation).

Not only did our Parliament not authorise this "policy", it was not even consulted.

I remain amazed that the debate is all about whether the policy is right or wrong. If it is right - in the sense that it is a necessary tactic to defend us against terrorists - then it still needs a law to authorise it. We have delegated our powers to make law to our Parliament, not to the Cabinet and still less to the Chief Constables of our police forces.

Does nobody care about the rule of law any more?

There is a fascinating article in this week's Economist comparing the reaction of modern governments to Islamic terrorism to that of early 20th Century governments to anarchist terrorism. All the same arguments were used at the time and the French government outlawed the expression of support for anarchists, just as Blair now wants to outlaw support for Islamo-fascists.

In the end the panic reactions to anarchist terrorism had no effect. It just passed as the more fiery nutters were jailed, hung or blew themselves up and it became apparent to the rest that it was getting them nowhere.

Blair and his halfwit cohorts are dignifying the bastard sons of chip shop and mosque by treating them with such seriousness. They are murderous scum, like other such. Their religious motivations are no more relevant than the voices in the head of "Son of Sam".

We should mourn the dead, enforce the laws, take due precautions and move on. A calm civilised response is admirable in direct proportion to the intensity of the provocation. If the London bombings lead to the death of "multi-culti" and the revival of national pride, we may all yet live to thank Yorkshire's Muslim morons.

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