Indeed. From what I've heard (second-hand), when it has been put to the officers, the UK police themselves have always voted against carrying firearms. The rationale is that it would change their relationship with the public, and the idea that the police are there to serve the people.

I actually have my own opinions about police, and it's no secret that they are quite negative. But I'll bite my tongue here, since this is a discussion of the UK/US differences in police and not a general critique of the police as an institution.