I will never understand why people feel the need to physically attack politicians. How ever you much you hate them, be they Silvio Berlusconi, Nick Griffin or even John Prescott, physical assault is never the way to go (especially in the case of Prescott…).

Democracy entails a certain level of restraint and acceptance. They may have views which we disagree with, even violently disagree with – but that does not mean that violence against their person is the way to go. As soon as we lower ourselves to that level we start losing sight of the reason we’re doing it.

Everyone has the right to say their piece, whatever their views. What we have to do is question them and show them up. Using them as punchbags doesn’t exactly do that, or indeed anything even remotely approaching the democratic process.

If you disagree with a politician, expose their views and get them voted out. Assault is counter-productive in a democracy.