The last time the terror threat level was raised was in my first few days as home secretary in 2007. This followed the failed car bomb attack in London and the attack on Glasgow airport. At that time, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, comprising key intelligence and security agencies and analysts, which determines the threat level raised the level to ‘critical’. This is the highest level and only happens when agencies believe that there is specific intelligence about an imminent attack. On Friday, the level was raised to the next level down – ‘severe’ – suggesting an attack is highly likely.
This is nevertheless a significant escalation of concern – and, while it will not have a day-to-day effect on most people, it will prompt more vigilance and security in airports, some public places and in the deployment of police.
The government has been clear that this is linked to the threat emanating from the activity of Islamic State in Syria and Iraq and, in particular, from the estimated 500 or more people who have travelled from the United Kingdom to ‘fight’ in the region. It seems clear that the ambitions of IS to create a ‘caliphate’ through violent and deadly means will not be confined solely to the Middle East. Those radicalised via the internet and brutalised in the ‘killing fields’ of Syria and Iraq will be unlikely to return meekly to a peaceful life in the UK subsequently.
David Cameron said on Friday that he is asking the intelligence and security agencies to identify any gaps in our capacity to address the threat.
First, as I argued here in June, they need to put ministerial spats behind them and focus seriously on the Prevent strategy to stop people turning to this violent ideology in the first place. But the immediacy of the threat from those already radicalised means that other measures may also be necessary to pursue those set on doing harm and to protect us all.
I hope that serious politicians will be willing to look at serious proposals for strengthening our protection against this threat. This will not be uncritical support – and all proposals should be rightly scrutinised for proportionality and efficacy. For example, there are already powers to enable the home secretary to prevent foreign travel for terror suspects. What exactly is being proposed in addition?
However, I hope and expect that, in opposition, Labour will not indulge in the sort of posturing and oppositionalism that we faced from the Tories, and, in particular, shadow home secretary David Davis when we were in government trying to do the right thing to protect our country and our rights to live peacefully here and in the wider world.
And in providing support, let’s not forget that it was this government which undertook a heavily briefed review of counter-terror policy with the intention of ‘redressing the balance’ in its first months of power. Arguably, this was more rhetoric than reality by the time it concluded, but it did lead to the scrapping of control orders. On Friday, the government was clearly briefing that it was considering reinstating some of the powers they removed when it replaced control orders with TPIMs (terror prevention and investigation measures).
With recent experience of government, we did warn back in 2010-11 that scrapping control orders would be a bad idea. We have continued to encourage the government to strengthen provisions for restricting where terror suspects can live and how easily they can access the internet and mobile phones. We have been supported in this by independent reviewers of the counter-terror legislation. The government chose not to listen at that point.
In contrast to the certainties of opposition, the responsibility of government can sit heavy on your shoulders when you are faced with intelligence that someone living in or returning to our country appears to be planning to kill and maim his fellow citizens. This is the reality now coming home to this government – even to the Liberal Democrats, I hope.
When Cameron makes his statement in parliament today outlining the government’s assessment of the current threat and any proposals to change policy, we must respond with gravity and seriousness – putting the interests of our security above any political calculations. In doing this, we will prove ourselves more worthy of governing next May than this government did in the run-up to the last election.
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Jacqui Smith is a former home secretary, writes the Monday Politics column for Progress, and tweets @smithjj62
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