Wrong for all of us. I've just been trying to think throught the implications of this.
1) UK police more reluctant to use deadly force when needed.
2) Tony Blair is already under huge stress with 2/3 of the population blaming him to some degree for the attacks due to Iraq (ICM poll last week) he presumably signed the shoot to kill order and knowing him, he will be frantic to avoid taking responsibility for anything to do with this mess.
3) The muslim community in the UK, who were making great strides towards condeming the suicide bombers and standing together as Britons now get the idea that you can be grabbed and shot repeatedly in the face for being brown and suspicious.
"2) Tony Blair is already under huge stress with 2/3 of the population blaming him to some degree for the attacks due to Iraq (ICM poll last week)"
Bit of a misquote. I would count as that 2/3 who thinks that the War in Iraq has drummed up some recruitment material for Osama and therefore put Britain at increased risk. But 'blame Blair?' Hell no, when you go to war OF COURSE YOU PUT YOUR COUNTRY AT RISK OF ATTACK. It aint a one way event! It is bleeding obvious. The question is - is was the war right? In my opinion, given the info Blair had at the time he made the call anyone who cared about his country would.
Didn't Mayor Livingstone give the shoot-to-kill order? I would think that he would be the one to order this police policy, not Blair.