A united country will defeat the terrorists
Yesterday marked one year since the Manchester bombing. On May 22, during a concert by the young singer Ariana Grande, Salman Abedi walked into the Manchester Arena with a homemade shrapnel bomb and killed 23 people. Just two months before, five people had died in a vehicle attack at the Palace of Westminster; only two weeks later, eight more perished in Borough Market, near London Bridge.
At the time, it felt to many as if Britain was under siege. Terrorists were attempting to divide us along religious and cultural lines, and a subsequent attack on Muslim worshippers outside the Finsbury Park Mosque made it seem as if they might be succeeding. But yesterday’s ceremonies demonstrated the depth of the country’s unity. Hundreds of people joined politicians from various parties, as well as Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh leaders, at Manchester Cathedral, with many more watching via live broadcast. The city’s mayor, Andy Burnham, was right when he said it “will never be broken, beaten or changed”.
But this does not mean we can be complacent about the threat we still face. Since last March the Metropolitan Police says it has disrupted 10 Islamist terror plots and four far-right plots. Last year there were 412 arrests under the Terrorism Act, resulting in 135 charges. Lest we forget, the Manchester bomber was born in Manchester – so the problem is complex and deeply rooted.
Britain has a history of standing up to terror: for 30 years it suffered regular attacks from the IRA but did not lose its resolve. In the end the extremists were marginalised and forced to the peace table. Islamic terrorism is different, not least because its perpetrators have no desire for a negotiated settlement. They will be defeated only gradually, in a long struggle in which our main weapons are the diligence of our security services and the resilience of our values.
In that regard we are fortunate, for, compared to some countries, and despite our troubles, Britain has achieved remarkable social cohesion. The overwhelming majority of its people want the same things – to earn a living, raise a family and enjoy a quiet life – and respect each other’s right to pursue them as they see fit. It is that commitment which will, in the end, ensure our victory.