[MellySingsDoom]

Does the death penalty really act as a deterrent? No.
Does the state use the death penalty as a cheap and cynical way to distract it's citizens from it's uselessness in dealing with crime? Yes.
Does it appeal to our atavistic instincts? Yes, certainly.
Is the death penalty moral? Depends how you interpret morality.
Is it inhuman? Almost certainly, in as much that murder is inhuman.
Would I want the death penalty re-instated in the UK? No.
Do I believe it will be re-instated within my lifetime? Yes.