How Secure Can We Be?

Just a quick round-up of a few stories in the last couple of days:

Now, that's what I call a worrying sentence.

In the meantime, yet more confirmation of what we all know; Medical examinations of former terror suspects held by US troops showed proof of physical and psychological torture. Although only 11 men were examined four came from Gitmo where they were imprisoned for three years before being released without charge.

Will one of these become the next Sayyid Qutb, whose torture at the hands of the Egyptians was a major factor in his radicalisation? How many terrorists are being manufactured in our secret prisons?

We've been saying the same thing for years; security comes from combatting extremism and not taking away civil liberties or continuing policies that almost seem designed to produce more murderous radicals.

Then again we've got New Labour, Gordon Brown, the supply Prime Minister, Hazel Blears, Ruth Kelly and so on in this ' Government of all the talents'. Alistair Darling might have nothing of interest to say, but Mervin King does. If this is talent, what are the rest like?

The Liberals seem to have acclimatised themselves to flatlining in the polls and when I see what their rule has been like in Liverpool I am tempted to put my principles aside and advocate putting them against a wall and shooting the lot of them. Want to know how they would govern? Look towards the Mersey and be shocked.

Cameron's Cuddly Conservatives are gaining in the polls, mainly because if they stand next to the Lib-Dems they do actually look like a real party, but can it last? Stresses over Europe are narrowing, but are they to be good old fashioned authoritatians or dashing young libertarians? The big problem they have is that their membership is tending to the old and senile end of the spectrum and there is a rumour that around 15% of them still think Margret Thatcher is still their leader.

This is England. The solution isn't to run away from the EU or to blame them for all our woes. Perhaps, just once we will actually try to play a full part in Europe, a transformative role in bringing Europe back to the people. Sadly the current crop of UK politicians are as competent as they are interested in this.