I think there are also philosophical reasons why the British people aren't keen on the further militarisation of the Police, especially routine patrols. It's t

I think there are also philosophical reasons why the British people aren't keen on the further militarisation of the Police, especially routine patrols. It's traditionally been the job of the Police to uphold the law with the consent of the People. It's the job of the Military to extend the will of the Politicians by bringing violence to enemies of the State. By further militarising the Police, it implies the People (or sections of) have become enemies of the State, which is not a great situation to be in... also this is why a lot of British people consider US Police Departments to be insanely trigger-happy.