Terrorism or not, knife crime is an epidemic we must address, writes Chris Philp
The government can't afford half hearted measures anymore, the vicious attack in Huntingdon proves that knife crime is out of control in the UK.
The scenes at Huntingdon on Saturday evening were truly horrific. Ordinary people mercilessly attacked with knives. Armed police sprinting down the platform to board the train. The stuff of nightmares.
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Our first thoughts must be with the victims of this barbaric attack and their families.
Police say they have seen no evidence this attack was terror related. But it does point to a wider issue: the epidemic of knife crime in our towns and cities.
For years people have felt powerless to stop the rising tide of knife attacks and murders that has claimed the lives of so many people, many of them young men or even teenagers.
It is time for firm action to keep people safe.
It is crucial that we expand the use of stop and search to get knives off the streets before they can be used to such terrible effect.
Liberal critics will say this is racist. But we cannot shy away from tough decisions for fear of causing offence.
And anyway, Policy Exchange research looking at London shows the use of stop and search is proportional to the offending population. And the success rate is broadly the same across ethnic groups.
It isn’t racist then – no ethnic group is being targeted unfairly.
At our Party Conference last month we committed to triple stop and search to get weapons off the streets.
We also said we would ensure police forces run images of criminals through the Police National Computer and relevant databases, ensuring repeat offenders are identified.
And we pledged to deploy live facial recognition in town centres - and train stations – to make sure dangerous offenders are stopped.
When we are dealing with murderous criminals, we simply cannot afford half-measures or soft policies. We cannot accept the situation in places like London, where stabbings aren’t even front-page news anymore.
The first duty of the government is to keep the public safe. People have a right to go about their daily lives without the risk of being attacked or killed. Only tough action will tackle the threats to our security.