LONDON -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Home Secretary David Blunkett (who resigned last week) have been doing their utmost to alert the British people to the terrorist threat. This is seen by some as a cynical attempt to divert criticism of government support for the Americans in Iraq and to justify both men's attempts to promote an image as defenders of law and order.
They also want to obtain popular support for strong-arm policies to tackle crime to try to pre-empt the Conservative Party's claim as the party of law and order, and to counter Conservative allegations that the Labour Party is soft on crime.
Unfortunately, after the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and the way in which intelligence was manipulated to justify the attack on Iraq, Blair's credibility with the electorate is low and his motives are suspect. However, the commissioner of police in London and the head of MI5, the British security service, have both warned the public to expect attempts by terrorists to cause serious incidents in London and other population centers. The Madrid bombings last March were a reminder that the threat is a real one. The British public cannot afford to ignore these warnings despite their lack of trust in the prime minister.