Why not have huge numbers of counter intelligence say another 50k - would it have prevented 2 attacks in the last 5 years - its a question of balance - given the numbers of attacks we have had I would say the balance is not far off. The US had huge intelligence resources it didn't stop 9/11.

Vote Tory and the theory will be tested - they've already committed to further cuts to the police.

My understanding from watching the coverage is that community policing is a big factor in getting early indicators that people are worthy of attention; if a regular, consistent police presence exists in Muslim communities, the people who live, work and study alongside these people feel more able to alert the police of early warning signs. We've got rid of swathes of community police officers under the Tory austerity measures - so it seems a reasonable conclusion that their ability to form relationships and pick up information has diminished.

When the Police Federation warned Mrs May of this when she was Home Secretary, she accused them of scaremongering...

Tories simply say that NHS funding wiill be paid for by growth in the economy. Yet growth is negligible and falling, living standards are falling. So under their 'plan' (as they like to call their chaos) funding for all services will actually be cut.

Thats like saying would my house have been burgled if I'd had increased security. Impossible to say but 20'000 is a lot of resources.

Approx 1300 trained firearms officers cut by Tories & 1000 soldiers deployed to our streets this week. Almost man for man.

Like Corbyn said the other day, austerity should stop at the door of the police station and the hospital gates.

Around 1000 armed police have been cut since 2010. Apparently, we've got around 950 soldiers policing our streets. Of course cutting the amount of police will decrease safety.

Oh, and Michael Fallon

It's interesting to look at the various media outlets, in particular the right leaning ones reporting on May getting stuck into Corbyn for saying Britain is partly to blame. There are quite a few comments stating no love for Corbyn but basically saying he's right. May might have scored an own goal by politicising the Manchester attack as a points scoring exercise.

Here lies my problem with this - Corbyn is just about throwing money at an issue - there is no discussion around working smarter and more efficiently. Are we honestly saying policing methods of 10 years ago haven't evolved to a point where less man power is needed?

When every government department has suffered such deep cuts, there is bound to be a cost in the opposite direction and whilst these departments will have been working their socks off to negate any detrimental effects, this doesn't mean that there wont be difficulties.
Personally, I dont think that having the increased numbers would have prevented Manchester, just as increasing them wont prevent the next one but, we will never actually know.

But it's not just numbers that are being cut. Its the support staff, the call centre handlers - everything!

They say community policing is a key weapon in the fight against terrorism, yet where are the community officers? I'm sure technology and techniques mean you can do more with fewer officers, but now we have the army on our streets.

Same as now I know if my house gets burgled, I contact the police only for a crime number for my insurance. The police don't have time to actually track down these scumbags any more.

There is plenty of money sloshing about, but vast quantities of it end up in the hands of private shareholders, a lot of whom don't pay tax in the UK or contribute in any meaningful way to our society

3 absolute car crashes this morning from Rudd, Fallon and Abbott

Rudd and Fallon are both bumbling morons; and Rudd is who May is sending to the TV debate in her place - it beggars belief!

And I know that Corbyn has history with Abbott - but I wish they'd sideline her; she's terrible in front of a camera - she goes to pieces and sounds decidedly unconvincing, even on relatively safe ground.

Yes. Yes, that is exactly what I'd say.

A realtive, now deceased, a couple of years back had a group of men smashing down her door, wanting to beat up her son, at 3 a.m. The PC who arrived at 8.30 am said it was his first job on shift, and was sorry, but there had been nobody available any earlier.

I'm not sure what evolution of policing methods would reduce the number of officers needed to respond to a group of men breaking down doors in the wee small hours, but perhaps you could explain it to me. Drones fitted with AMRAAMs maybe?

This is not a case of bad luck. Most people would be truly shocked to know how few police are actually on duty in their area at night.

TM went well last night on the May Jezza Sky/4 programme.

Thought Paxman was poor. Audience questions all very predictable

Do you really think so ?

She looked and sounded a long way short of "strong and stable" ?
Labour's spending plans are scary and there isn't a business in the UK that wont change their style to help them avoid some of their new "tax on business".
However, May appeared very unsure and quite nervous and it was easy to see why she wouldn't go head to head in a "proper" leaders debate.

I dont want either of them as our country's leader and we will inevitably end up with May.
However, it's comforting to know that despite her hot air, it wont actually be her doing the Brexit negotiations.

She is full of hot air and appears to lack any conviction whatsoever in her politics, mind you when you are trying to "steal" votes from everyone from the SNP, to UKIP and Labour, it's hardly surprising.