It's taken less than twenty-four hours, in the aftermath of the Cumbria horror, for the cry to go up: let's rush in further firearms restrictions.
One case for doing so is up and running in the Guardian (unsurprisingly) here. The author writes: "If firearm owners were not permitted to store guns and ammunition at home, the incident could not have happened".
Wrong - because he could have acquired both illegally.
After each atrocity, there's a chorus of "Something Must Be Done". This is understandable. But Governments must remember that When Ministers Do Something, they usher in our old friend The Law Of Unexpected Consequences.
Namely, in this case, more burdens for the innocent and more work for the police - while criminals flout the law. Not so Unexpected, on second thoughts.
The content of Theresa May's Commons statement today - and her replies to questions - will be an interesting test of to what degree this really is a Liberal Conservative Government.
Paul Goodman
