Gordon Brown’s appointment of the former first Sea Lord Sir Alan West as Home Office Minister for Security is an immensely savvy move. West as a non-political figure will reassure a, sadly, cynical public that the terror threat is not being exaggerated for political gain. His reassuring presence will also give the government’s response to these incidents credibility, taking the pressure off Jacqui Smith to instantly develop stage presence.
I do hope that these appointments will make those—including a majority of MPs—who back a fully elect second chamber realise the flexibility that an appointed element brings.
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