UK: Howard's Tories show their true face

[Ryan]

and is a majority of the public as clearly opposed to capital punishment as you are??

I myself have wrestled with the issue my whole life. My religious beliefs mitigate against it but knowing human nature, I do believe that it MAY have some preventive effect and save lives.
Criminals always tend to believe they can eventually "get away with it"- wrangle out through the legal system somehow/sometime later. It's only the belief that they may actually face the electric chair that could make them think twice.

In any event I believe the current system in the US is broken and I would support a moratorium till the defects can be addressed. However I just cant say whether I definitely support or oppose the death penalty itself. It's probably the only such major issue where I simply can't make up my mind.