The UK government has yet again decided to throw their toys out of the pram at the slightest hint of a problem on the other side of the pond.
Guess you haven't seen any news in the past two years then? this is not a hint of a problem the other side of the pond. It is a global problem and what ever you think about the politics measures need to be taken.
While everybody agrees that the emphasis is to prevent the problem reaching the aircraft we have to accept that if aviation is to remain a viable business that people continue to use then we must also accept that there has to be a level of compromise. Security is a multi layered beast and skymarshals are one layer for the 'what if' situation. By not putting such a scheme in place when many other countries are may, it could be argued, leave UK aviation in a more vulnerable position as we could be percieved as being a softer target.
Many posts refer to security issues and one aspect that seems to be forgotten is that security isn't just about those in the air but also protecting those on the ground. Reputation is an important layer in any security system and highlighting errors in public may not be the wisest move. Whilst it is important for policies to be discussed, any specific errors spotted by crew or passengers or airport staff should be directed to the airport authority and if nothing happens about your concerns then direct it to the DfT.