Part of Tony Blair's response to the London bombing incidents was entirely predictable. He called in various 'leaders' of the 'Muslim community' to chat about it, then set up a 'taskforce'. One of those invited, Kishwer Falkner (a LibDem peer, pictured) was not impressed. It was the "usual suspects" in the Muslim establishment, she reported: a knight or two, half a dozen peers, Muslim MPs.

One of the MPs, at least, pointed out that Muslims were not a homogeneous group, and told Blair that any such set of 'leaders' trying to 'solve the problems of religion and alienation' was doomed to fail. But within the hour, the Prime Minister told them all he was setting it up anyway. The Big Conversation just got bigger. Falkner goes on:

What is needed now is not a quick-fix taskforce, with well-meaning Establishment figures embarked on a road-show around the country to have our own "conversation" with young Muslims.

There's a case, she says, for a genuine, long-term investigation of why some communities in the UK are so segregated that they don't even share the common language, far less shared values; of why religion is being distorted to such devastating effect; and how we can square diversity with harmony.

But of course the important thing for governments - particularly this government - is to be seen to be doing something whenever any problem arises. Call everyone in. Set up a commission. Whether any of all this highly visible and 'inclusive' spinning actually does anything useful seems to be of far lesser importance to them. Sad.