in the air

The headline was a Daily Mail classic, “English passengers forced to show passports when arriving in Scotland”. Even the best endeavours of the Daily Mail could not make this into an anti-Scots story though because, rather reluctantly, they had to admit that Scottish travellers arriving at English airports could also have to show passports.

When the Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Grayling, arrived at Prestwick last week, he was subjected to a routine check by Strathclyde Police who asked for his passport. Specific legislation allows the police to confirm the identity of people passing through any UK port.

We suspect that police exercise this right fairly regularly as a way of maintaining it. Our experience is often that staff at quiet airports can be more difficult than those at busy airports which might also explain why the police at the under-used Prestwick were eager to identify the inoffensive Mr Grayling.

Mr Grayling said, “It is utterly and completely unacceptable for any police force to make identity checks on passengers travelling within the UK.” He added that this unnecessary behaviour “simply undermines the credibility of our security legislation”.

We wholeheartedly agree. We all support sensible actions to stop terrorism but it is nonsense to allow road and rail passengers to travel without any check and make random checks on air passengers.

Governments instinctively like to control and the Police will never voluntarily give up any right so we can only hope that Mr Grayling remembers his words should he ever take office.