“We have made three further arrests overnight, and this afternoon used a controlled explosion at an address at the city centre.”
The combination of a terror atrocity, mass deployment of troops, an election campaign and no legislature takes us into unchartered waters.
This highest of five threat levels means that “an attack is expected imminently”. They are set not by the Prime Minister, but by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre.
Plus, read the full text of the Prime Minister’s statement on the heightened threat level and deployment of troops.
“It is an appalling act of violence against people, and it must be totally, unreservedly and completely condemned.”
“The spirit of Britain has never been broken, and will never be broken.”
“After our darkest of nights, Manchester is today waking up to the most difficult of dawns.”
The Prime Minister has suspended her election campaign. COBRA met at 9am this morning.
“It was a particular attack on the most vulnerable in our society. Its intention was to sow fear. Its intention was to divide. It will not succeed.”
“We are currently treating this attack as a terrorist incident until we have further information.”
I strongly believe that the region is poised at one of the most exciting and opportunity-rich junctures of its post-modern history.
Its permit system places the island’s residents at the centre of policy – and can be tightened up, just as just it was in 2009, if the economy is squeezed.
The former Chancellor imposed this flawed model on our city without even the courtesy of a consultation, let alone the usual referendum vote.
I am fed up to the back teeth with people pronouncing that such terrorist atrocities have nothing to do with the perpetrators’ religious views.