The Knife Angel statue has been unveiled in Leith at the spot where John McNab was stabbed to death a year ago, as his mother Lisa Petrie demands to know why his killer was allowed to roam the streets.
John McNab was 22 years old when a teenager stabbed him in the street, wiping out a life that had barely begun. Yesterday, the Knife Angel was officially launched as a monument to all victims of knife crime in Scotland, with Lisa Petrie present to witness the event.
Campaign for bleed kits and a fatal accident inquiry
Lisa Petrie has campaigned tirelessly for bleed kits to be installed around the country to help victims survive, work that is expected to save lives. She also wants a fatal accident inquiry into John's death so that the full circumstances of the killer's release into the community can be examined.
The teenager who killed her son was out walking the streets despite being charged with an earlier knife attack. It is widely accepted that overcrowded jails do not have room for everyone accused of a crime to be remanded in custody, but when a teenager has already attacked somebody with a knife, it is a matter of public safety to ensure they are not simply put back into the community to attack again.
Concerns over tough enough process
Too many young men carry and use knives, but the process of dealing with these dangerous individuals is not tough enough. Lisa is right to ask why her son's killer was allowed to roam the streets. The teenager should have been in a secure unit, not free to kill.
FM's food cap quest is a folly
Parts of John Swinney's Programme for Government are welcome and worthy of support. Capping bus fares at £2 is a measure that will ease the pressure felt by low-income families. Slashing NHS boards from 14 to two should have been done years ago, and the First Minister's instincts on fewer councils are also sound.
But his plan for a supermarket price cap looks increasingly ridiculous. Swinney came up with the gimmick during the heat of an election campaign, and it looked ill-considered even then. It looks legally questionable, and the SNP government could end up wasting more public money on a doomed court battle.
Swinney will have to challenge vested interests if he is to get his way on rewiring the Scottish state. His political capital should be spent in this area, not in a pointless battle with the UK Government on price caps.
