Mourn the death of common sense as taxes pay for terror

DOES anyone know the date when common sense died? Perhaps it didn’t actually die but was buried alive, so is its final resting place known?

Britain is in a deep recession the severity of which most of us have never previously experienced, yet the reckless spending of taxpayers’ money by many of those in influential positions defies belief and abuses the trust placed in them.

After over a decade of the total farce of the case of Abu Hamza; the colossal legal-aid bills heaped upon the long-suffering taxpayers by the continual stream of appeals; the police bills for road closures and protection to allow his hate-filled sermons to proceed outside Finsbury Park mosque; the expenses of keeping him in prison for over eight years and the continuing costs of looking after his family members, he was finally extradited. The taxpayers, collectively, must have heaved a huge sigh of relief.

But, this seems premature as attention is now directed at Abu Qatada. Over the last 10 years legal fees (received by his legal team but paid of course by the taxpayers) have amounted to almost £1m in efforts to prevent his deportation with estimates of around £3m as the cost of keeping him. Now, according to Mr Justice Mitting, a senior immigration judge, the evidence against this terror suspect is ‘extremely thin’. Are we being ‘softened up’ to expect this to develop into another greater abuse of our taxes? Whatever would the legal establishment do if Britain had not welcomed such undesirables?

Yet money is so short that cuts are being made which could never have been envisaged. Tens of thousands of troops are being sacked, similar numbers of nurses cannot be afforded and Remploy factories which greatly assisted disabled people are being closed, etc. The legal-aid pot has had to be restricted for many people, but if you are a terrorist sympathiser, a preacher of hate, a murderer or a rapist, the pot always has to be full to the brim; always full of sufficient funds for lawyers to help themselves to, and to hell with the opinions of those who have to provide the money. This is democracy and justice in Britain today.

But apparently this is only one example of how the establishment cannot understand the financial circumstances faced by ordinary people, the disgust of the majority. They are oblivious to the need to restrict expenditure.

Now it is reported that leading judges have been urged (by whom, I wonder? ) to overturn sentences imposed on two murderers and a rapist who are currently subjected to “whole-life” sentences.

The heinous nature of the crimes committed ensured “whole-life” sentences were the only possible outcome, yet once more taxpayers’ money is being used to mount these appeals. Has anyone any idea how much money will be wasted on this appalling exercise and have we nothing better to do with the money we have? How does this have any possible connection to human rights?

Added to all this, it was noticeable that in all the recent political party annual conferences was no mention of the appalling waste of money of still maintaining a military force in Germany some 67 years after the Second World War; the £50m paid each week to Europe; the Afghanistan situation... oh, I could go on and on, but it’s too depressing. All major items of expenditure seem to escape investigation.

If we are going to give out mind-boggling bonuses, which are usually very debatable, one such sizeable bonus could be offered which would have everyone’s approval and would not attract the slightest criticism.

It awaits the person who discovers the burial place of common sense and is able to successfully give it the kiss of life.