I have a feeling that we’re going to see a huge outcry over this, the level of compensation given to the relatives of those who were killed in the 7/7 bombings.

11 grand each? What a pittance people will cry. But there’s three points that need to be made.

1) English law always pays very little for death. After all, what amount would compensate?

2) This does not include economic damages such as loss of earnings. Those are seperately calculated and a great deal higher.

3) The much larger sums paid out in other places, (9/11, Lockerbie bombing etc) all involved either a measure of responsibility or the promise not to sue for such. Who actually thinks that London Underground was negligent? Or that anyone else was?

At least one sensible thing has been done as well. Usually these sums from the Government are reduced by whatever is won in the courts or made available from elsewhere. They’ve agreed that the Mayor’s charity fund will not be subject to such clawbacks.