Let’s be honest,vile Islamist Hashem Abedi will be deeply disappointed that he didn’t murder those three brave prison officers. Violence is in his ideology and there’s not a shadow of doubt he will try again given the chance.
Which makes our prison officers sitting targets for people like Abedi. So what is the solution? The obvious one is that for the rest of his 55-year sentence for the murder of 22 innocent people at Manchester Arena, he is kept in solitary. Literally never let out.
After all, when he was let out of his cell what did he do? He stole a baking tray, and presumably overthe weeks, turned it into two 20cm-long knives. And with one of those knives, he stabbed an officer in his artery and came within millimetres of killing him.
That would have been the first murder ever of a prison officer. When you look at our prison population you can expect copycat attacks similar to HMP Frankland, Co Durham.
The percentage of Muslims in our nation is put at 6.5 per cent but the percentage in our prisons is 18 per cent - the largest religious grouping in UK jails. When the Islamist terrorists can no longer kill when on the outside because they have been caughtwhat will they do? They will try to kill on the inside.
The death penalty is the only solution for the vile Islamists in our jails - let's hold a referendum, writes Kelvin MacKenzie
Greater Manchester Police
And that means our prison officers will be constantly at risk. That is not acceptable. And I agree with Robert Jenrick, who makes the weather for the Tories while Kemi keeps bizarrely quiet, that we have spent too much time appeasing these killers.
Too much time trying to make their time as comfortable as possible. Why on earth would a hardened Islamist be allowed to operate in the kitchens? Some liberal might think it would do Abedi’s mental health good to be allowed in the kitchens, but did nobody think he would gain access to tools that could be used against authority figures he hated?
There is an alternative approach to keeping the terrorists in prison and it’s the one I favour, and have always favoured. The death penalty. Particularly for those with a violent ideology.
I start from the position that a mass murderer should no longer be allowed to live. Simple as that. In Abedi’s case not only did the bomb blast kill 22 it also injured another 1,000. Can you imagine the number of families in the Manchester area whose lives have been affected forever by the effects of that bomb?
Not only didn’t Abedi care but he would have been pleased at that night’s work. Why should we keep this killer alive, not least because he wants to kill again? He should pay the ultimate price. I would take the decision out of the hands of politicians who have no touchstone with ordinary people and put it to a referendum.
I know, and you know, that they would vote at least 60 per cent to 40 per cent in favour.
Secondly, and less importantly, it costs us, according to the latest figures, £ 51,000 a year to keep a prisoner in jail. For those kept in separation units like Abedi even more. Since he was jailed for a minimum of 55 years you can work it yourself; £2,500,000.
Instead of spending the money on scum like a terrorist we could use the money for nurses, teachers, and even bin men. People who do something for society while all Abedi wanted to do was destroy our society.
Thirdly, the least attractive argument, but to my mind the most powerful and emotional, is straightforward revenge. You have killed my daughter, the love of my life, and I am going to kill you.
What’s wrong with an eye for an eye? What would be wrong in giving the decision to the victim or victims? How can any of us know what it feels like to lose a loved one to an ideology which we can’t comprehend and has nothing to do with us or the way we live our lives?
If you harbour revenge in your heart, I think you should have the right to express it.
I recognise there is currently no majority for my view in the Commons. By 2029 that may well change with many more Reform MPs and a number of liberal Conservatives being squeezed out as candidates.
If we don’t get tough there will more attacks by scum like Abedi. And it will be our prison officers who will pay the price.
