The News of the World (where yours truly is a columnist) is not only top for celebrity news (they had the Wills/Kate reunion last week) but its news stories are often ahead of the competition by weeks. So I’m struck by their story that there now 219 terror cells on MI5’s map, plus a fascinating geographical breakdown (12 in Scotland, 80 in the Midlands, 35 in London). The message MI5 seems to want to put out is that one of these guys will succeed, and soon. Emphatically not the time to stop talking about the “war on terror”, in my view.
PS I’m a fan of Iain Duncan Smith’s Centre for Social Justice, but just can’t agree with his suggestion of raising alcohol prices by 10%. This, I fear, will push teenagers further towards (harder) drugs which are already cheaper. And as Simon Heffer points out, English brewers could do with a tax break!