UK Terror threat at highest level since 9/11

Security officials warn that the conflict in the Middle East has created an ‘upsurge in criminal activity’

The threat of an imminent terror attack in the UK is rising, senior security officials have allegedly warned MPs.

The Mail on Sunday has reported that politicians are increasingly being alerted to the danger of terror attacks following an “upsurge in extremist activity” as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.

“The level of extremist chatter is off the scale,” an MP with knowledge of the most recent briefings told the Mail. “This is something they’ve seen growing and growing. It’s like when the Twin Towers came down in 2001, there was a big spike of hate.”

MPs are reportedly concerned about the rising threat level in the UK (PA)

The claims come just days after the government’s independent reviewer of terrorism said that the Israel- Hamas war has presented a “risk to our democracy”.

Talking to Times Radio, Jonathan Hall KC said:

“When you see last week, MPs literally scared to show [in parliament], apparently wanting to change their behaviour in parliament because of threats that they’ve been receiving.

“If those are done in order to affect the way in which the government acts and way parliamentarians operate, then actually that does begin to fall within the scope of terrorism and might even call for counterterrorism response.”

In October 2021, David Amess, the Conservative MP for Southend West, was fatally stabbed at a constituency surgery in Essex. The attack was committed by a British Islamic State sympathiser and was around the time parliament voted to carry out airstrikes in Syria.

Just five years earlier, Labour MP Jo Cox died after being shot and stabbed multiple times in Birstall, West Yorkshire by a right-wing terrorist.

The current terrorism threat level is currently at “substantial”, but the Mail reports concerns among MPs that it should be raised to “severe” to reflect the level of extremist chatter reaching its highest since the terror attack in New York on 11 September 2001.

Rishi Sunak gives a speech on extremism in Downing Street (PA Wire)

In a speech last week, the Prime Minister warned that extremists are trying to “tear us apart” and called on the country to unite to “beat this poison”.

His comments followed the election of Workers Party MP George Galloway in the Rochdale by-election, who centered his campaign on the conflict in Gaza.

Mr Sunak said that it was “beyond alarming” that the Rochdale by-election “returned a candidate who dismisses the horror of what happened on October 7th, who glorifies Hezbollah and is endorsed by Nick Griffin”.

Mr Galloway said he “abhors extremism” and has said he is “not responsible” for who endorses him.

The prime minister has since pledged to “redouble our support for the Prevent programme”, which tries to steer people away from radicalisation, and has instructed the Home Office to use existing laws to block hate preachers from entering Britain.

The Home Office has been approached for comment.