Attacks on London

My heart goes out to everyone across London who has been affected by today's terrible events. I'm overseas at the moment, and the level of public sympathy here has been a great comfort. There isn't much more I can say at the moment, but this excerpt of Ken Livingstone's official statement is - I feel - a moving summary of Londoners' reaction to such a cowardly attack.

Finally, I wish to speak directly to those who came to
London today to take life.

I know that you personally do not fear giving up your
own life in order to take others - that is why you are so dangerous. But I know
you fear that you may fail in your long-term objective to destroy our free
society and I can show you why you will fail.

In the days that follow look at our airports, look
at our sea ports and look at our railway stations and, even after your cowardly
attack, you will see that people from the rest of Britain, people from around
the world will arrive in London to become Londoners and to fulfil their dreams
and achieve their potential.

They choose to come to London, as so many have come
before because they come to be free, they come to live the life they choose,
they come to be able to be themselves. They flee you because you tell them how
they should live. They don’t want that and nothing you do, however many of us
you kill, will stop that flight to our city where freedom is strong and where
people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you
kill, you will fail.