Now, following a path already laid down by the United States, at least to some extent.. Gordon's appointed former Navy chief Admiral Sir Allan West, as our 'Security Minister'..
Kind of a one man Homeland Security Deprartment, one supposes..
Perhaps a bit of a knee-jerk reaction.. we've done without one so far..
But regardless.. here he is..
And one must wonder at what his purpose, and his scope, might be..
Sir Allan's a bit of the 'Old School' type.. excellent at his job in the Navy, both at sea as an active Commander and behind a desk arguing the Navy's cause at Admiralty Offices..
First interview as the new Security Minister went to the Sunday Telegraph.. and to quote that paper..
"He said the country was up against a "disparate core" of "racist" people - often based abroad - who wanted power.
And he urged people to be "un-British" by "snitching" to the authorities.
Sir Alan added that he "hated" the expression "war on terror", saying it was "totally wrong" for the current situation.
"It's not like a war in that sense at all. It demeans the value of a war and it demeans the value of a lot of things,". That again, to the Sunday Telegraph.
One must ponder this statement..
The interview continues..
" He said the new prime minister had asked him to help "sort out" the government's response to the terror threat, when he appointed him last week.
"We are not getting our message across properly," he added.
The most important aspect of countering the terror threat was prevention, he said, which the newspaper said referred to dealing with the radicalisation of young Muslims.
Assessing the threat to the UK as having grown, he said: "This is not a quick thing. I believe it will take 10 to 15 years.
"But I think it can be done as long as we as a nation apply ourselves to it and it's done across the board."
Done across the board.
One must wonder when the Government will realise that it will take a concerted and consolidated effort from all it's domestic agencies.. Social Affairs.. Education..
Law Enforcement.. Housing.. to effect any degree of change within the disaffected..
And let's say Sir Allan has a point.. that the word 'Community', when it refers to an ethnic group, is anathema.. that there needs to be an infusion of what it means to be British, while maintaining a sense of one's heritage..
Of course, having said that, Sir Allans job might well begin in Glasgow, with the 'disaffected Scots'..
Mind you.. it's not as though Gordon's new Cabinet hasn't thought of instilling new values into the classroom..
Schools in England are to get £13.7m more to teach pupils manners, respect and good behaviour...
New 'Children's Secretary' Ed Balls.. wants pupils in all primary and secondary schools to have lessons in social and emotional skills by 2011.
A programme already running in 60% of primary schools, which helps children deal with anger.. anxiety.. conflicts, is being rolled out right across the nation.
It has had a major impact on behaviour and attainment, the government says.
Ahh.