Can We Trust The Conservatives On Security?

[Kromovaracun]

http://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/james-obrien/police-officer-theresa-may-cuts-james-obrien/?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

Less than two years ago, Theresa May was warned directly by the Police Federation of the danger of cutting police budgets so severely. She accused them of "scaremongering".

Was she right?

1337 armed police have been axed since 2010 under her watch.
984 soldiers deployed yesterday to effectively do their job.

Furthermore, in 2015 (again while May was home secretary, and Jeremy Hunt was still health secretary as he is now) the government decided not to renew a special arrangement with Microsoft to keep Windows XP secure, which as far as I can see has a direct relationship with the Wannacry attacks on the health service a few weeks ago.

Can the Conservative Party be trusted with the UK's security?

[Jackdaw33]

Certainly more trusted than Labour!

[Kromovaracun]

Why though?

I mean say what you want about Labour, but they won't reduce spending unnecessarily will they?

[agchristie]

Well, when Amber Rudd is unable to answer a straightforward question about 'watch lists' and the examples you have given, I believe there is a lack of reassurance and confidence from the general public.

The political situation is so weak in that none of the parties are willing to deal with the real issues and threats facing the UK and beyond.

Time to get a grip and fast!

[-Talbot-]

I don't trust anyone.

[cassa333]

Who would you rather trust security with? A party who's leader is reluctant to use deterrents and is open about unilateral disarmament, calls terrorists his friends and generally has the resolve of a sleepy wombat or ???

However police on the ground is slightly different to security in this case.

[jno]

the Tories are associated with slashing budgets, which is always a good vote magnet - except when voters come to think there might be some value in spending, such as on police and security.

[Khandro]

Ever more and more security isn't the answer, that way we will end up, and are already becoming, a clamped down society living in perpetual fear. We have to cut out the disease.

[Old_Geezer]

XP ? It was unupdated Win 7 that fared worst.
Quite honestly neither main contender fares well on this issue.

[agchristie]

The threat level was raised to 'critical' but are we seeing such an escalation being recognised when politicians fail to give that impression?

[Kromovaracun]

OG - I was under the impression that the NHS systems which were attacked were made vulnerable because of their use of XP?

//A party who's leader is reluctant to use deterrents and is open about unilateral disarmament, calls terrorists his friends and generally has the resolve of a sleepy wombat or ???//

Not entirely sure where the idea that Corbyn lacks resolution comes from. He seems perfectly resolute to me, if not all that bright. Plus I'm not sure nuclear deterrence has much bearing on the issue of terrorism (in fact our present policy on nukes seems the worst of both worlds to me - it is insufficient to be a deterrent and more than sufficient to make us a target, but that's a whole other discussion).

[237SJ]

Yes because whichever party is in power will be advised by agencies whose job it is to monitor threat risks to the UK.

[Kromovaracun]

jno - there always seems to be this popularly imagined glut of "waste" that is perfectly easy to get rid of, yet never ever disappears no matter how severely the public sector is slashed.

[Old_Geezer]

I beleive you may be right, I think worldwide the hit was more on Win 7. But it does mean they were 2 upgrades out, which was unacceptable. They ought not have been looking to secure XP but having skipped 7 for financial reasons, and having the sense to leave 8 well alone, they should have been on 10 as a matter of priority.

Did anyone campaign to get the NHS PC system updated ?

[Old_Geezer]

3 upgrades

[Kromovaracun]

I daresay not many of us knew it was running on an old system, or what exactly the risks associated with that were.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the government to govern properly as regards things people are not protesting about, though.

[Old_Geezer]

Her majesty's opposition could have said something though.

[webbo3]

Heres Labours Achilles heel being interviewed by jon snow.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/808946/Jon-Snow-roasts-Diane-Abbott-over-Labour-party-record-fight-terrorism-manchester-bombing


Dave.

[naomi24]

I trust the Conservatives more than Labour on any issue, but I agree with agchristie at 19:48. No one is willing to deal with the real problem. They (any of them) can throw all the police and security services we can muster at it, but until someone is courageous enough to acknowledge and address the crux of matter honestly, we will never defeat it. All we’re doing is attempting to fend off the next attack – and radical Islam is laughing at us.

[douglas9401]

Please line up under your preferred colour.

Jerk knees.