Deadly failures of MI5 and the police over terrorist Usman Khan were appalling

Fatal failures

THE deadly failures of MI5 and the police over terrorist Usman Khan were appalling.

We accept that their diligence has thwarted far more atrocities than we have suffered.

But there is no excuse for the ineptitude over Khan, an extremist considered more dangerous on release from prison than when first locked up.

In jail he radicalised others.

It was feared he would attack if freed.

But freed he still was after half his 16-year term.

MI5 failed to convey just how dangerous he remained — and he was allowed by cops and the probation service to travel alone to the Fishmongers’ Hall event held by the charity he duped into believing he was a changed man.

Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt paid with their lives.

As others would have, but for the heroes on London Bridge.

Of course Khan is ultimately to blame.

But he was a mad dog.

Those who let him loose have no defence.

Convicted Islamist terrorists can never be given the benefit of the doubt.

The system looks broken.

Keir ’em out

A BRAVER, stronger leader than Keir Starmer would have swiftly purged ­Labour’s benches of every hard-Left loon.

As long as he has MPs who view our Covid deaths as a political weapon, not the tragic consequence of an unprecedented pandemic hitting a densely-populated country with an overweight population, voters will be repelled.

Calling the toll “social murder”. Idiotically demanding cops charge Boris Johnson with “corporate manslaughter”.

These are not the actions of serious politicians, merely of student union rabble-rousers playing to a hard-Left gallery.

Ordinary voters are too sane for it.

Starmer had a golden chance to rebuild Labour.

It looks way beyond him.

Rightful heir

HARRY was once more popular than ­William.

Hard to imagine now.

We chart William’s emergence as a mature statesman.

Not “trapped” as a Royal, as Harry presumptuously claims for him, but dedicated to duty and perfectly suited to it.

Compare his measured rebuke of the BBC over Martin Bashir to Harry’s self-serving diatribe.

Compare his recent public appearances with the confused outpourings of Harry, whose views on the acceptance of mental health problems appear years out of date to us.

Each of Harry’s sad TV outings is more proof of how lucky we got with his brother.

Clash of titans

WHO will it be?

Dominant Prem champions Man City — or Chelsea’s comeback kids?

We can’t wait.

The Champions League final tonight could be a classic.

Come on you blues!