We should be proud, not panicked, that Parliament is prepared for attack
It has felt, as usual during the summer, like a quiet week. And yet, I have had to remind myself, it was also a week that saw another terrorist mount an attack in Westminster. Somehow, both of these things can now be true at the same time.
What makes that possible is that the terrorist suspect in question, Salih Khater, is one of the most incompetent attackers London has ever seen, but also that the Palace of Westminster is now very, very difficult to attack.
The footage shows Khater driving up Whitehall, crossing over two pavements, knocking down two cyclists and then driving smack into a barrier specifically designed to stop cars. He was then arrested.
We should, of course, remember the cyclists. This was no victimless crime, however botched, and being knocked down by a car is a serious thing. However, it’s possible to knock down cyclists in almost any area of London. Parliament is uniquely well protected.
It was therefore rather surprising to me that police, media and politicians immediately started proclaiming that there is an urgent need to pedestrianise all the nearby roads. Parliament is already surrounded by high fences, metal detectors, a no-man’s land crammed with cameras, a ring of heavy concrete barriers and a unit of police toting machine guns. What this week’s attack showed, more than anything, is how successfully these measures have made it safe, not how much more needs to be done. Choosing to attack it is like choosing to burgle Fort Knox. It’s not clever.
If the safety-first advocates really want to ensure London cannot be attacked by terrorists using vehicles, a better approach would be for them to suggest banning cars altogether. After all, there are plenty of trains in Britain – and horses, for that matter. The carriage is a charming method of transport and no horse has ever been convicted of terrorism.
While they’re at it, they should also ban metal knives. We can perfectly well make do with plastic, or wooden ones. And why not ban fertiliser and buckets, too? And shoes. And sticks. We’ll simply have to use carrots to motivate the horses and if we can’t, well, that’s our own fault isn’t it?