Tackling terrorism should not be a party political matter – leaders should remember that

The challenge is much greater, for it is one that reaches into the entire fabric of our society. There should be no knee-jerk, simplistic moralising

Sunday 01 December 2019 21:18 GMT
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Boris Johnson denies Tory cuts played role in London Bridge terror attack

The country is rightly angry about circumstances in the run-up to the tragic terrorist attack on London Bridge on Friday. That said, it needs to learn the right lessons, not dally with responses that are likely at best to be ineffective and at worse counterproductive.

In the middle of an election campaign there is the inevitable temptation for politicians to say whatever they think will burnish their reputation. Over the weekend, in the wake of the attack, Boris Johnson vowed to end early release for terrorists. What could be more obvious? If Usman Khan, the attacker, had not been released early, he would not have carried out his murderous attack. But of course, in the real world, things are not so simple.

The response of Jeremy Corbyn has been more measured. He said that convicted terrorists should “not necessarily” serve their full sentences. “It depends on the circumstances, it depends on the sentence, but crucially it depends on what they’ve done in the prison,” he said.

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