Deadly errors
IT is ever more appalling and incredible that Axel Rudakubana was repeatedly rejected by the Prevent counter-terror programme before the Southport atrocity.
We suppose he could have been more blatant about his beliefs. But not much.
It is appalling and incredible that Axel Rudakubana was repeatedly rejected by the Prevent counter-terror programme[/caption]
He had carried a knife to school. He searched for school shootings on the web.
His social media posts raised further concerns.
He was obsessed with Gaza — and mass-casualty terror attacks including in London and Manchester.
He spoke of stabbing people.
Even that wasn’t enough. Despite three referrals, Prevent decided he wasn’t terrorist material.
That he was merely keen on “current affairs”.
His ideology wasn’t clear, so nothing was done.
Yesterday’s Home Office report rightly condemns those blunders, which cost three girls their lives.
Prevent is not there solely to tackle proven, overt Islamists but anyone susceptible to being drawn into violent extremism.
He may not have been waving an ISIS flag — but how did Rudakubana not fit that bill?
Stop the bloat
GLOOMY new forecasts could soon make a mockery of Labour’s boast that it has “stabilised the economy”.
Growth predictions from the Office for Budget Responsibility are expected to be even more pessimistic than they are now.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves will then have to raise taxes or cut spending.
Last week’s big growth push was welcome.
But projects like Heathrow’s new runway won’t increase growth for years.
Ms Reeves’ National Insurance hike last October depressed it almost instantly.
Hiking taxes again would be suicidal.
The bloated public sector must be cut.
Meanwhile, Keir Starmer should scrap the utterly insane Chagos Islands “deal” which mystifies even his own Cabinet.
We just don’t buy the Government’s excuses for paying Mauritius billions to take over strategically vital UK territory.
Bin it, PM — and Attorney General Richard Hermer — and save us a fortune.
Snooper cars
ARE China’s spies a threat to our security or not?
Not really, claims the Government, keen to cosy up to Beijing’s thieving, genocidal enslavers for investment reasons.
It is even preparing to exempt the communists’ stooges from the toughest restrictions under new spying laws.
Yet today we reveal how defence chiefs have been warned to stop talking in their Chinese-made electric staff cars in case the motors eavesdrop and feed state secrets back to President Xi.
Which sounds plausible given China’s global criminality and all the tech in the MG cars they churn out in Shanghai.
China has done more than enough to be considered a hostile state.
Labour risks compromising national security in its desperation for growth.
