Wanted at polling stations on Thursday – armed police to protect Britain’s democratic process
SIR – I hope that on polling day this week there will be at least one armed police officer outside every single polling station in the land.
This surely is the minimum security required to safeguard the public – and protect our democratic process. Dr Roger Grimshaw
Manchester
SIR – The police are to be commended for their swift reaction to the marauding terrorist attack around London Bridge. Mark Rowley, the Met’s assistant commissioner, expressed admiration for his men.
So why must those who shot the suspects be subjected to a nonsensical Independent Police Complaints Commission review? We all know what happened. The officers saved many lives.
Ninety per cent of the public support a shoot-to kill-policy in these circumstances.
It looks as if terrorism in Britain is increasing. The police will be called to more such incidents. We cannot take officers off armed response duty every time there is a shooting. There are few enough armed officers as it is. We need more realistic rules of engagement. Allan Robertson
London SE8
SIR – It is not enough to celebrate the bravery of the police who tackled knife-wielding killers with their bare hands or at best a baton.
One victim of the atrocity was Canadian, visiting from a peace-loving country whose police are, sensibly, armed as a matter of course. Michael Thorpe
Winchester, Hampshire
SIR – It is very important that, when Muslims bravely report other Muslims to the police for extremism, the information is seen to be acted upon. This is not a criticism. The services must have an enormous amount of information to sift through.
However it does seem that recent perpetrators were reported to the police by civically responsible Muslims. Sebastian Neville-clarke
Vines Cross, East Sussex
SIR – Juliet Samuel (Comment, June 5) is correct in saying that our democracy and civil society emerged from a long and complex history. All the more reason to protect these hard-won freedoms, rather than wait for history to let fanaticism succumb to moderation, as she suggests. It would be wrong to sit on our hands, which would cost more innocent lives.
Certainly some Muslims living in Britain read newspapers and cast their votes but many, especially women, do not. To integrate into our society requires a desire to adopt our culture – not our religion – learn our language and live under our nation’s laws, not sharia. Anything less will perpetuate a divided society, which may take 1,000 years to return to the position we were at only half a generation ago. David C Tennant
Twickenham, Middlesex
SIR – Watching the BBC news on Sunday I wondered whether a Matt cartoon was being acted out.
Fergal Keane was interviewing Muslims in London. One that he spoke to in the street was swathed from head to toe in black, only her eyes showing. When asked for an opinion on how to tackle extremism, she stated that there should be more integration. Valerie Keeling
Salisbury, Wiltshire
SIR – Some form of control order on all those suspected of possible terrorist activity needs to be introduced immediately. We should also restrict the return to this country of any individual who is known to have been involved with Isil or similar organisations, irrespective of whether they hold British citizenship. Alex Churm
Crewe, Cheshire
SIR – Charles Moore (Comment, June 5) warns against being seduced by Jeremy Corbyn’s preference for dialogue with extremists. The key point surely is that Mr Corbyn is a textbook Marxist who grew up in the depths of the Cold War and for whom worker revolutionary violence is glorious and virtuous while capitalist, colonialist military violence is repressive and morally evil. Hugh Waine
London SE4
SIR – It seems that Mr Corbyn opposes shoot-to-kill, but prefers to negotiate with terrorists. What does he think they would accept, in exchange for promising not to kill us? Roger J Arthur
Pulborough, West Sussex
SIR – Where is Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary? A few appropriate words from her at this terrible time surely would not have gone amiss.
Margaret E M Taylor
London SW18