Monday 5 June 2017

London terror attacks could push Corbyn over the line

It was evening in Australia when the terror attacks on London Bridge started and so we got all the action as it was happening. Police were telling people not to load images and videos to the internet, but to give them to authorities first. There were messages telling people to run and hide. A special help line had been set up so that people could phone into authorities even if they were unable to talk openly on the phone.

People all over the world were wondering how it could happen again so soon after the Manchester attack. Three terror incidents in three months in Britain alone.

In the aftermath of the attack social media continues to light up with messages talking about the meaning of what happened. Many are condemning the way that right wing politicians - like the US president - are capitalising on the attack for their own political purposes. But one thing that hasn't until very recently been mentioned is that the British prime minister in her previous job as home secretary oversaw large cuts to police in the UK. In response to PM May's media address yesterday Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has promised to put on more police and security services staff if he gets elected on Thursday.

The election might not have gone ahead on schedule but as May said yesterday things will proceed as planned. But she should be worried. Corbyn looked like a sure loser when the election was called some weeks ago but his party has risen in the polls dramatically and now they are running neck-and-neck with the Conservatives. May's misstep as home secretary could be the thing that finally pushes Corbyn over the line and into government, which is something that nobody could have foreseen.

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