It certainly appears that their introduction is as a result of US requirements for some flights, from what we have been hearing on the news here in the UK.

I would hardly say that we British have a paranoia about guns, however many believe it to be a bad idea to introduce any gun to what should already be a secure environment - the focus being on their elimination from all before entry to the aircraft, with the new doors as a last resort. Issues such as what if the attackers are able to disarm the marshal and obtain a more potent weapon than say box-cutters are certainly valid here.

Just as we may view some US states as gung-ho with all the guns possessed, perhaps you might view the UK as a different culture, where guns are respected as a sportsman's tool, and are less used by criminals except in violent drug wars. I think we perhaps fear that guns become seen as a necessity and fashion accessory in the future, rather than being paranoid of them in the UK, ensure that police do not carry them and escalate situations by making criminals view them as necessary.

Besides have you not seen those Hollywood movies - as long as Bruce Willis is onboard, we'll all be fine. Clone him!