The accretion of metal detectors and half-arsed pat downs from security guards are making life more inconvenient for no obvious reward, says Emma Revell

The first duty of the government is to ensure the safety of its people. Unfortunately, whether measured by the security of our borders or our ability to maintain law and order on our streets, it’s hard to pretend that recent governments have been doing a good job.

In the hierarchy of needs, feeling safe sits alongside access to food, water and shelter. Without a feeling of safety, and trust that those supposed to keep you safe are able to deliver, it is hard to prioritise anything more abstract.

Catastrophic failures by the police and security services – like the abhorrent knife attacks in Southport – immediately permeate the public consciousness and it is only natural that events like this shake our sense of safety, especially with the widespread rioting that followed.

But while horrific, headline-dominating events directly shake our faith in the state’s ability to do........

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