Hit the road Jackie

I have a guilty confession. I've always rather liked Diane Abbott. Shhhh, someone might hear. I even defended her once against very silly attacks she faced over sensible comments she'd made. Anyway, she has some more words of wisdom for us over at CiF.

Abbott rightly has a pop at that Jackie Smith who recently told The Times that "I wouldn’t walk around at midnight." Going on about how it's not safe to go out after dark. Thank goodness she has the ministerial car to mow down any suspicious looking jay walkers.

Diane replies "One of the most irritating aspects of Smith's ill-considered remarks is the inference that women, in particular, should be fearful of going out after dark. I am a feminist of the "Reclaim the Night" school. I have always refused to be frightened off the streets by doom- mongers such as Smith. And the truth is that the people at risk on the streets of the inner city are not middle-aged women like me and Smith, but gang members and young men of that age group."

Oooh I could kiss her!

Of course it's the job of Home Secretaries to make us feel afraid. Christ knows why as you'd have thought they should be trying to convince us they've abolished all anti-social behaviour and should be rewarded with extra terms in office. Apparently this is not on and they have to get out the fear stick now and then just to remind us that it's not the government we have to fear, but each other.