Michael Howard: Sorry, Polly, you're wrong

I visited Brixton on a Saturday night not long ago. In the two hours I spent out on the streets, I did not see a single policeman. To me, and most of the public, the lack of a police presence in our inner-cities at night is a cause for real concern.

Polly Toynbee and the Guardian don't apparently share this concern. They've howled in protest at my comments and demanded an apology. But no one has contradicted what I said - for the simple reason that I spoke the truth.