The area around Westminster must be one of the most heavily guarded and protected in Britain but still a man armed with two knives was able to wreak havoc, killing four people and injuring many more. Security experts will say that it is almost impossible to stop this sort of attack: a "lonewolf terrorist" in a hired car. But questions need to be asked about security in the light of the tragic incident on Wednesday afternoon.
This area is the seat of power of Britain: the home of the mother of all parliaments. Security should not be tight, it should be very tight and if this means shielding the House of Parliament with crash barriers and armed police then it is a price which has to be paid. We are at war with Islamic State. Every night British aircraft and drones attack them in Syria and Iraq. Britain, following terror attacks in Germany, France and Belgium, should be on maximum alert. The army needs to be deployed on the streets of the British capital to support the police. If the police need extra personnel well then they have 100,000 soldiers to call on who can offer their help. French soldiers have been patrolling Paris for months and Britain should do the same. British police officers, on security duties outside parliament, need to be armed or perhaps their security duties could be performed by soldiers. We are facing a wave of terrorism not seen in a generation and it is time that all avaiable resources were put to good use.