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MP slams stop and search comments Politicians in police search row
(about 1 hour later)
The Scottish justice secretary has come under fire from a UK minister over his comments about anti-terror searches at Scottish train stations.The Scottish justice secretary has come under fire from a UK minister over his comments about anti-terror searches at Scottish train stations.
Tom Harris has demanded an "unreserved apology" from Kenny MacAskill after he accused British Transport Police (BTP) officers of harassment. Tom Harris has demanded an "unreserved apology" from Kenny MacAskill after Mr MacAskill accused British Transport Police (BTP) officers of harassment.
Glasgow MP Mr Harris said the criticism was "cynical and irresponsible".Glasgow MP Mr Harris said the criticism was "cynical and irresponsible".
Mr MacAskill said he was yet to receive the MP's letter but stood by his original comments. Mr MacAskill told the BBC that he stood by his comments and would not be making an apology.
In a BBC interview on Sunday, the justice secretary accused the transport police of following a "diktat from London". In a BBC interview on Sunday, the justice secretary had accused the transport police of following a "diktat from London".
You might be interested to learn that to date, the BTP have received no complaints from citizens stopped during these routine operations Tom HarrisGlasgow south MP Harris interview
He claimed the officers were "harassing" people, particularly those from ethnic minorities, which he said "deeply, deeply" troubled him.He claimed the officers were "harassing" people, particularly those from ethnic minorities, which he said "deeply, deeply" troubled him.
Mr Harris said Mr MacAskill's comments betrayed a "profound ignorance" of police operations. It is outrageous for a minister to attack the British Transport Police when all they are trying to do is protect the travelling public Tom Harris MP
However, Mr MacAskill insisted it was "unacceptable" for the BTP to have carried out more than 14,000 searches in Scotland since the attack on Glasgow airport, when the total for the eight other Scottish forces was less than 200. But Mr Harris, the parliamentary under secretary of state for transport, told BBC Radio Scotland that Mr MacAskill was "playing politics with anti-terrorism operations".
In a strongly worded letter to Mr MacAskill, Mr Harris, Labour MP for Glasgow South, said: "It is unacceptable and inappropriate for anyone in ministerial office to launch such an attack on police officers on the basis of hearsay. He added that he had a large number of Asian voters in his constituency and had received "not one single complaint" from them.
"You might be interested to learn that to date, the BTP have received no complaints from citizens stopped during these routine operations." Mr Harris asked: "Why is Kenny MacAskill launching such an unprovoked attack on the British Transport Police when he's not even picking up the phone to ask for an explanation of these figures?
Kenny MacAskill said he stood by his comments "Kenny MacAskill is playing politics with anti-terrorism operations and at this period, when we are subject to who knows what kind of terrorist threat, it is outrageous for a minister to attack the transport police when all they are trying to do is protect the travelling public."
Mr Harris claimed it was wrong to compare the transport police activities with the actions of Scottish forces. Mr MacAskill had cited figures which showed transport officers stopped 9,994 people and searched 4,636 vehicles at Scottish railway stations between 1 July and 14 December this year.
In his letter he said: "Terrorists have recently targeted transport infrastructure in this country (London Underground and Glasgow Airport) and it is therefore right that the BTP are vigilant and do everything practicable within its authority to disrupt and deter terrorist activity." 'Feel reassured'
He pointed to media interviews with passengers praising stop-and-search activities alongside the total lack of complaints. He contrasted that with statistics showing Scotland's eight police forces stopped and searched just 84 people and 51 vehicles in 2007.
"I can only conclude that the vast majority of the travelling public in Scotland feel reassured rather than threatened," he said. Mr Harris, who is the MP for Glasgow South, has now sent a strongly-worded letter to Mr MacAskill.
It stated: "Terrorists have recently targeted transport infrastructure in this country (London Underground and Glasgow Airport) and it is therefore right that the BTP are vigilant and do everything practicable within its authority to disrupt and deter terrorist activity.
"I can only conclude that the vast majority of the travelling public in Scotland feel reassured rather than threatened.
"Your attempts to invoke the prospect of discontent in community relations is both cynical and irresponsible.""Your attempts to invoke the prospect of discontent in community relations is both cynical and irresponsible."
Mr Harris also accused the justice secretary of failing to meet transport police chiefs since coming to power, despite two requests from Assistant Chief Constable David McCall in July and August. We live in difficult times, we have to ensure we protect not only our own community but every community Kenny MacAskill MSPJustice secretary
Community protection Mr MacAskill, who said he had not yet received the letter, insisted he had been right to raise the issue, and said he had no plans to apologise.
He added: "I trust you will now offer a full and unreserved apology for your comments to the officers of the BTP." "What we have to do in Scotland is make sure we make Scotland safe and strong," he told the BBC.
Mr MacAskill said his office was yet to receive the letter but stood by his original comments and again compared the number of searches carried out by transport police and Scottish forces. "I regret very much that a London minister - given that we have been co-operating with them fully and with governments internationally to combat terrorism - should take this position.
"Whilst we are in difficult times and it is absolutely vital that we protect our communities, we also have to protect civil liberties too," he added. "I have no complaints of the ordinary members of British Transport Police - it's the ethos and diktat coming from London."
"Although they only make up 2% of our population, some 12% of these searches have involved members of ethnic minority communities. He said he had been told that British Transport Police had no information on potential terrorism that was not available to the government.
"I want answers from British Transport Police on why these figures are so high - particularly when our eight local constabularies have always been able to react to similar threats and challenges yet only used these special powers on a much smaller scale." And Mr MacAskill questioned why similar attention was not being paid to bus stations and the Glasgow underground.
Kenny MacAskill said he stood by his comments
He said: "The fact of the matter is that 2% of the Scottish population is an ethnic minority is the black and Asian community yet they have suffered 12% of the searches."
Denying that he was seeking to embarrass a London minister, he said: "No, we are doing what we have to to tackle terrorism.
"We live in difficult times, we have to ensure we protect not only our own community but every community."
He added that while it was the responsibility of the Scottish Government to guard against terrorism, it also had a responsibility to protect communities from "what they may perceive" as harassment or intimidation.