Thursday, June 12, 2014
Cameron backs Boris over water cannons
The decision by Boris Johnson to order water cannons for London puts crowd control in this country into a whole new playing field. That David Cameron appears to have backed him in this, despite reservations on behalf of the Home Secretary, appears to me to be somewhat rash.
The Telegraph reports that Theresa May thinks that there are safety concerns associated with these devices. She insists that she will take the final decision on this matter, setting up an interesting conflict that deserves watching.
Characteristically, Boris Johnson has said that he is prepared to stand in front of a water cannon to prove it is safe, adding that existing crowd control measures such as horse charges are "considerably more violent".
I am surprised that the Prime Minister did not offer to operate the water cannon himself.
The Telegraph reports that Theresa May thinks that there are safety concerns associated with these devices. She insists that she will take the final decision on this matter, setting up an interesting conflict that deserves watching.
Characteristically, Boris Johnson has said that he is prepared to stand in front of a water cannon to prove it is safe, adding that existing crowd control measures such as horse charges are "considerably more violent".
I am surprised that the Prime Minister did not offer to operate the water cannon himself.
