I was reflecting on this a couple of hours after the awful events started to unfold this afternoon. On a daily basis, the highest concentration of people I care about in terms of sheer numbers is in and around the Palace of Westminster. From parliamentarians and staff to my friends and colleagues in LDHQ across the road.
I love that part of London. If I’m down for a meeting, I’ll often wander around Parliament Square, soaking up the atmosphere, watching tourists try to get the right angle for their photo to get Big Ben in, thinking of all the people in our history who have walked those streets across the centuries. I tend to feel humbled just by being there.
As I discovered that my friends were safe and well, I was very aware that others had had their lives turned upside down. They wouldn’t be receiving good news. My heart breaks for those who were killed or injured in the attack and those who love them and my thoughts are with those in hospital. For the people who have seen things which have deeply traumatised them and left invisible scars, I hope that they receive the support that they need to recover.
I feel so grateful for the the sheer professionalism of the emergency services, the medics who rushed from St Thomas’s to help, all putting themselves in danger to save others.
In the last hour or so, Tim Farron has given his personal thoughts.
These were horrific and deeply tragic events and my thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of those who lost their lives today and the many more who are injured. The bravery and professionalism of the police and emergency services has been truly humbling.When the attacks happened, many people, both police and civilians, ran towards the danger in order to help. Their bravery was awe-inspiring.Our response is to this must be more democracy, more openness, and more humanity. We will answer hatred with love.
At times like this, we must remember who we are. Britain is an open, tolerant country and we will never let those who spread terror and threaten our values win.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
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6 Comments
I have no political point to make. Just sadness for the victims. It’s always horrible to hear that people have died or are horribly injured in events like this. Life is precious. We should let the victims know that they are not alone and their loved ones will not be forgotten.
Very powerful from Caron, and I should say as a Londoner having been a resident of Nottingham for some many years but often in the capital, typical of the best of our party in such a situation or any related, in that we unite as English , Scots, the lot ! That is not a political point, something in keeping with the excellent point of Eddie here, one would not make, it is a personal point, of solidarity recognised.
In keeping with Caron, in my heart I think of the area. I went there to pay tribute to Jo Cox when that horror struck. Now this.
Many years ago I was with my wife walking on the pavement when a car sped onto it , the driver having lost control, we were both nearly mowed down, my wife injured, it missed be, but the scars did not and lasted for us both, my wife especially physically.
Today the car did what it did deliberately . A nightmare for all there.
Tim Farron is a good man . His words bring comfort. We need it.
A senseless horrific attack. My thoughts and prayers for all the victims.
Once again I am thankful that Alex Carlile has left the party, after his astonishingly crass decision to blame the new protected cycle lane for the attack: http://www.bikebiz.com/index.php/news/read/peer-blames-cycle-lane-on-westminster-bridge-for-terrorist-attack/020958
What I like about this statement is its focus on all the victims, and not framing the incident as an ‘attack on parliament’, nor privileging the story of those trapped in parliament over those who were outside parliament.
It’s obviously very early to say ‘this is why this is happened’, but…
As a child in the 80s, living in the home counties with family in London, Waterloo station and Westminster bridge were where London started for me. St Thomas’ was where two of my grandparents died, and my grandmother worked at both county hall and at Westminster school as a cleaner for a bit, I think.
One day in the 80s, I stood with my family, waiting for the soldiers to march up on parade … there was a bang and no-one came. I didn’t know it, but we had just been near to the scene of the Horse Guards Parade nailbomb. I only found out what that meant, later in life.
This is an analogous event, for me: not an attempt to attack parliament specifically, just as the nailbomb was not attempt to attack the Queen or Buckingham palace specifically, but an attempt to kill the maximum of people outside parliament in a place of symbolic significance, because that way the world will be watching and the pictures will go round the world.
I hope Tim is right, and parliament and democracy stays as open as we can make it. Increasing parliamentary security will not protect Westminster Bridge.
RIght now, my biggest worry, is in fact what this does to the French elections, not our own politics.
Jeremy Corbyn agreed with Theresa May and she agreed with him. Former Home Secretary Alan Johnson said on the World At One that “Everybody is talking about resources, which means PCSOs.” Nothing new about that, but would you want to
1) increase public confidence in the visibility of the local police? and
2) provide a career route to unpaid but motivated Specials? and
3)Do so at a relatively modest? and
4) collect detailed information at the same time? and
Do so at a relatively modest cost?
while remembering that leader of the opposition Margaret Thatcher pledged to increase police pay after the general election in 1979. She also increased their numbers. Cynics and conspiracy theorists say that had something to do with Scargill and the possibility of another coalminers’ strike.