Men Step Aside: Tackling Terrorism is Women's Work

First published in The Guardian, July 27, 2006

In the barren, brutal knockabouts of British parliamentary politics, to be called ‘soft’ on anything is clearly one of the worst imprecations in the schoolyard. John Reid has finally proven his hard credentials in the debate about ‘soft’ sentencing (practised by ‘soft’ judges) by promising tough sentences for even minor crimes. Another opportunity no doubt, for Blair to taunt Cameron on a willingness to “talk tough” about the issue, but “act soft” when voting.