If we had all the public enquiries people demanded we would have to double taxes, I swear. Yesterday the Radio 4 news returned a few times to a woman who represented the victims of July 7th 2005. She felt that there were too many unanswered questions, especially in the light of the accusation from the Saudis that the UK had failed to act upon information given that would have prevented those tube and bus bombings. She demanded a full public enquiry.
Time out. Can you imagine, can you possibly imagine, our security or police services sitting back and saying, 'Ah well, we lost that one but we'll carry on the same?'
I can't. Every agency which was involved in July 7th will have carried out a review and learn procedure.
A public enquiry might well serve the purpose of allowing terrorists to understand how they got through and also identify ways in which they might get through in the future. We would learn but so would they. I'm not anti public enquiries per se but I am realistic enough to know that some things which are secret are secret for a good reason and need to remain so.
I think our nation divides into those who broadly trust the police and security services and those who don't. Do you?
1 comment:
The Bloody Sunday Inquiry lasted seven years, had 900 witnesses and an estimated cost of £150m.
That's not to say it might not have been needed. But meantime hospitals go without resources, people go without lifesaving drugs and schools get kids to buy their own books.
Something not quite right there
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