Gordon Brown promised severe punishment for people caught carrying firearms as he met a special police task force tackling gun crime in Manchester. The prime minister met officers at the task force's base at Greenheys police station in Moss Side.
He also talked to families who have had relatives murdered by gang members. The visit came as officers continue to hunt the killers of Jessie James, 15, gunned down a few streets away in a local park in September 2006.
Reality ...
Oh right, so the PM came to Greenheys (Moss Side) did he?
That would explain why:
*The toilets that perpetually smell of piss (to save water) and bad farts (no other reason than too many blokes using too infrequently ventilated small spaces ;)) were all cleaned
*The stacks of paperwork were all stuffed into filing cabinets.
*Response were told to get out and look like they were doing something useful.
*Area Policing Teams were told even less than normal and just pushed out of the door, leaving piles of full files unfinished.
*The entire centre of the car park, not exactly a large space to begin with, was cordoned off - leaving police officers to park their vehicles in the middle of Moss Side on nearby estates.
*You couldn't get through the hangers on.
On the bright side:
*First time I have seen the Chief Constable, ever.
*The toilets didn't smell so much.
*We were released from a half days drudgery of filework.
*Got to watch where we work on the news. Still looks like the set of "Life On Mars" however.
They should have left it how it was so that:
*The PM could hear people complaining about how crap it is working here with too little resourcing and staffing.
*The PM could go into the "bubble" and get stuck in there because he left his keyfob upstairs. Then he could have all his associates look through the door and laugh at him.
*The PM could have had his carkeys or wallet (in the absence of a warrant card) put into the vending machine with it's stupid slidey doors.
*The PM may have actually had to speak to a serving officer that hasn't told him how spiffing it was working in such a diverse community and that everything was all good and rosy, Sir.
Fat chance.
