In a world where markets usually dictate the value of human life, a hero police officer in Birmingham has defied the dismal science. PC James Morrison, a 15-year veteran of West Midlands Police, caught a 10-month-old baby boy dropped from a second-floor window as flames consumed the family home early this morning. The infant, named Oliver, was thrown by his mother after the smoke alarm failed and a faulty lithium-ion battery charger in the living room sparked the blaze at 4:20 a.
m. Morrison, off-duty and returning from a late shift, heard screams and scaled a drainpipe to the first floor before catching the bundle of blankets with his bare hands. He sustained minor burns and a fractured wrist, but the baby is unharmed.
The mother, 34-year-old Sarah Jennings, escaped via the stairs and was treated for smoke inhalation. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has telephoned the officer to commend his ‘extraordinary bravery’, and a public crowdfunding page has already raised £120,000. The Daily Mail calls it ‘the bravest rescue of the decade’.
My take: In a city paralysed by inflation, high gilt yields and a stubbornly weak pound, this is a refreshingly efficient allocation of heroism. No taxpayer bailout needed. The police union, however, will no doubt demand a risk premium for future drainpipe climbs.
