YOUR MP WRITES (From Worcester News)

YOUR MP WRITES

8:47am Thursday 5th June 2008 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

Next week Parliament considers proposals to toughen up counter terrorism legislation. I won’t risk the safety and security of local people going about their day-to-day activities by weakening our security forces.
I won’t back down on measures designed to safeguard our way of life against those who have the means and the aims of causing huge loss of life.
The main purpose of the new legislation is welcomed by many, but when it comes to the difficult choices the Conservatives run away and hide from them.
Bluntly speaking, the complexity of today’s terrorist plots means our police and security forces need more powers.
That is why I back the right to detain terrorist suspects without charge for up to 42 days. Back in 2001, police investigating the last big IRA case had to analyse one computer and a handful of floppy discs held by suspects, who used their own names and had never gone beyond the UK and Ireland.
By 2006, the alleged airline bomb plot involved 400 computers, 8,000 discs and multiple identities across the world.
The threat has moved and we must equip our police with the new tools to do their job.
Yes, there will be safeguards to protect the innocent. The new powers would only be used in “exceptional circumstances”. The Home Secretary would have to seek Parliamentary approval to use the powers and a senior judge would have to approve any extension to detain a suspect beyond 14 days every week. These are appropriate checks and balances to protect our civil liberties. But our aim is the protection of the most fundamental right, our ability to be protected against the terrorists who threaten our country and its way of life.
The challenge facing every government and every politician is how to tackle terrorist threats while upholding our fundamental human rights.
While I am MP for Worcester I will on balance always seek to protect my constituents from the risk of further terror threats.
Making these decisions is sometimes tough. But if our police and security services ask for help in the fight against terrorism I will lend them my support. It is a pity that the Conservatives won’t do so.
A nationwide political consensus would be an ideal way of sending out a message.
Today’s Conservatives aren’t yet capable of that.