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David Blunkett: 'We are living in a climate of very nasty and angry politics' David Blunkett: 'We are living in a climate of very nasty and angry politics'
(4 months later)
Britain is experiencing a climate of "very nasty and angry politics" which needs to be managed with care to ensure "something much more dangerous is avoided", the former home secretary David Blunkett has warned.Britain is experiencing a climate of "very nasty and angry politics" which needs to be managed with care to ensure "something much more dangerous is avoided", the former home secretary David Blunkett has warned.
Speaking in the wake of the Woolwich incident, Blunkett said that the airing of "gruesome images" on social media made it harder to calm feelings and ensure rational debate.Speaking in the wake of the Woolwich incident, Blunkett said that the airing of "gruesome images" on social media made it harder to calm feelings and ensure rational debate.
Blunkett, who served as home secretary at the time of the 9/11 attacks, said he believed that the perpetrators of the Woolwich incident were not part of the al-Qaida network.Blunkett, who served as home secretary at the time of the 9/11 attacks, said he believed that the perpetrators of the Woolwich incident were not part of the al-Qaida network.
But he added: "That should not make us complacent. We need to recognise that it makes it harder for the intelligence services to track people, especially converts that are using meat cleavers, rather than making bombs."But he added: "That should not make us complacent. We need to recognise that it makes it harder for the intelligence services to track people, especially converts that are using meat cleavers, rather than making bombs."
Blunkett, who served as home secretary between 2001-2004, said that the development of social media and anger over immigration have served to create a different climate. "The incident we are dealing with is very different to 2001 and 2005. 52 people lost their lives in 2005, but the existence of social media and rolling 24 hour news repeatedly showing gruesome images makes this much harder for authorities. It makes it that much harder to calm feelings, ensure rational debate and prevent attitudes from hardening, and to prevent the kind of reaction we have already seen from the English Defence League (EDL).Blunkett, who served as home secretary between 2001-2004, said that the development of social media and anger over immigration have served to create a different climate. "The incident we are dealing with is very different to 2001 and 2005. 52 people lost their lives in 2005, but the existence of social media and rolling 24 hour news repeatedly showing gruesome images makes this much harder for authorities. It makes it that much harder to calm feelings, ensure rational debate and prevent attitudes from hardening, and to prevent the kind of reaction we have already seen from the English Defence League (EDL).
"The political climate is very much worse than 2005. We are living in a climate of very nasty and angry politics on issues like immigration and welfare at the moment, and it is building. We have to be very careful to make sure this does not tip over into something much more dangerous.""The political climate is very much worse than 2005. We are living in a climate of very nasty and angry politics on issues like immigration and welfare at the moment, and it is building. We have to be very careful to make sure this does not tip over into something much more dangerous."
Eric Pickles, the communities secretary, and Baroness Warsi, the minister for faith and communities, told a meeting of the emergency COBRA committee yesterday that progress had been made since 2005. They noted the universal and unequivocal condemnation of the attacks by Britain's Muslim leaders. It was noted that strong condemnations in the past mentioned the role of British foreign policy in inflaming opinion.Eric Pickles, the communities secretary, and Baroness Warsi, the minister for faith and communities, told a meeting of the emergency COBRA committee yesterday that progress had been made since 2005. They noted the universal and unequivocal condemnation of the attacks by Britain's Muslim leaders. It was noted that strong condemnations in the past mentioned the role of British foreign policy in inflaming opinion.
Pickles told the meeting that the PREVENT strategy, which tackles extremism, has been instrumental in developing a network of vital grassroots contacts. The communities secretary was able to give a detailed account of the role played by the local imam in Woolwich in successfully countering extremism.Pickles told the meeting that the PREVENT strategy, which tackles extremism, has been instrumental in developing a network of vital grassroots contacts. The communities secretary was able to give a detailed account of the role played by the local imam in Woolwich in successfully countering extremism.
The COBRA meeting focused on the impact on community relations and on the immediate investigation into the attack. But a separate political row was developing after veterans from the fight against terrorism over the last decade called for the communications data bill, dubbed the snoopers' charter, to be revived.The COBRA meeting focused on the impact on community relations and on the immediate investigation into the attack. But a separate political row was developing after veterans from the fight against terrorism over the last decade called for the communications data bill, dubbed the snoopers' charter, to be revived.
Nick Clegg, who ensured the measure was dropped from the Queen's speech, was forced to deny last night that the bill would have made any difference if it had been in place at the time of the Woolwich incident. A spokesman for the deputy prime minister said: "There is currently no suggestion that the proposals in the draft communications data bill would have had any relevance to yesterday's sickening events. There are already substantial powers in place to track the communications of criminals and terrorists."Nick Clegg, who ensured the measure was dropped from the Queen's speech, was forced to deny last night that the bill would have made any difference if it had been in place at the time of the Woolwich incident. A spokesman for the deputy prime minister said: "There is currently no suggestion that the proposals in the draft communications data bill would have had any relevance to yesterday's sickening events. There are already substantial powers in place to track the communications of criminals and terrorists."
The deputy prime minister spoke out after Lord Carlile of Berriew, the former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, reiterated his call for the bill to be revived. He said on BBC's Newsnight on Wednesday: "We have to learn proportionate lessons from what has occurred. We mustn't rush to judgment. But we must ensure that the police and the security services have for the future the tools they need that will enable them to prevent this kind of attack taking place.The deputy prime minister spoke out after Lord Carlile of Berriew, the former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, reiterated his call for the bill to be revived. He said on BBC's Newsnight on Wednesday: "We have to learn proportionate lessons from what has occurred. We mustn't rush to judgment. But we must ensure that the police and the security services have for the future the tools they need that will enable them to prevent this kind of attack taking place.
"I hope that this [Woolwich] will give the government pause for thought about their abandonment, for example, of the communications data bill, and possibly pause for thought about converting control orders into what are now called TPIMs, with a diluted set of powers.""I hope that this [Woolwich] will give the government pause for thought about their abandonment, for example, of the communications data bill, and possibly pause for thought about converting control orders into what are now called TPIMs, with a diluted set of powers."
Jack Straw, the former home secretary, told The World at One on Radio 4: "Down the track we will want to know – I hope the intelligence and security committee of parliament looks at this – as whether or not if there had been enhanced powers in relation to communications data would this have made any difference to the earlier aprehension of these people?"Jack Straw, the former home secretary, told The World at One on Radio 4: "Down the track we will want to know – I hope the intelligence and security committee of parliament looks at this – as whether or not if there had been enhanced powers in relation to communications data would this have made any difference to the earlier aprehension of these people?"
Lib Dem sources said that Clegg is adamant that the original blanket proposals for the authorities to be able to examine the details of every website every visited by a suspect are unacceptable. But he is prepared to assess whether police and MI5 should be granted new powers on access to IP addresses. The limits on the number of IP addresses is complicating the work of the police because they are often shared.Lib Dem sources said that Clegg is adamant that the original blanket proposals for the authorities to be able to examine the details of every website every visited by a suspect are unacceptable. But he is prepared to assess whether police and MI5 should be granted new powers on access to IP addresses. The limits on the number of IP addresses is complicating the work of the police because they are often shared.
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