The more we learn about how catastrophically badly the Southport killer was handled by the system, the less safe the public will feel.
It is truly beyond parody that in three different referrals to the Prevent anti-extremism programme, officials spelled his name three different ways, potentially leading to oversights.
According to the jaw-dropping report published yesterday, it is not even clear if officers examined Axel Rudakubana’s electronic devices to ascertain the type of material he was looking at online, and properly assess the threat he posed.
A counter-terrorism officer dismissed fresh concerns raised by Rudakubana’s teachers about his disturbing behaviour as a ‘potential knee-jerk reaction’.
It is further evidence that a tick-box culture prevailed in this thoroughly discredited operation.
This week we have also seen another review outline a series of errors in the way schizophrenic triple-killer Valdo Calocane was handled by the NHS.
Dr Sanjoy Kumar, the father of Grace O’Malley-Kumar who was among the victims, rightly concluded yesterday: ‘We’ve been failed at every intersection that Valdo Calocane had with any authority.’
Emma Webber, whose son Barnaby was also killed, said: ‘This report is a horror show – it uncovers failings on an epic level.’
How many more bereaved families must we hear utter similar words?
Axel Rudakubana murdered three young girls at a Taylor Swift themed dance class in Southport
We have also seen another review outline a series of errors in the way schizophrenic triple-killer Valdo Calocane was handled by the NHS
And yet, as part of her response to Southport this week, Yvette Cooper said she will consider banning kitchen knives with pointed ends following anti-knife crime proposals from actor Idris Elba.
Presumably screwdrivers, skewers and awls will be outlawed at a later date if one follows the logic of this idea, which comes from the Home Office filing cabinet marked ‘let’s be seen to be doing something’.
Gesture politics will not help us here.It requires hard, detailed grappling with the failings in these systems which are supposed to protect the public.
Principally, there must be careful elimination of officials’ biases, which often place too much emphasis on diversity concerns, human rights laws or an individual’s feelings.
Only then can we begin to regain any faith that the authorities are placing ordinary people’s lives first.
Twisted priorities
Unsurprisingly , Sir Keir Starmer is placing himself – and the country – at risk of being outflanked by Brussels.
Our lawyerly Prime Minister is devoid of any of the chutzpah which is essential in any good deal-maker – not for nothing did Boris Johnson nickname him Captain Crasheroonie Snoozefest.
Sir Keir Starmer is placing himself – and the country – at risk of being outflanked by Brussels
And yet Sir Keir’s obsession with a ‘reset’ with the European Union risks allowing the Eurocrats to bully Britain into renegotiating security and defence agreements, alongside separate issues such as fishing policies.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has already indicated that Britain may receive special treatment and escape punitive trade tariffs the White House is threatening to impose on the EU.
Instead of capitalising on that goodwill from the new US administration, Sir Keir is placing his ideology ahead of our economy yet again.
Pursuing potentially massive trade deals with America or other willing countries must be Sir Keir’s priority.Failing to do so would amount to sheer dereliction of duty.
