This wants emergency laws! Labour given pressing warning over plots | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Extremists with out an “underlying ideology” who’re plotting an assault will likely be prosecuted below a brand new offence, Shabana Mahmood has confirmed.

The Home Office is below stress to introduce a “mass casualty attack” amid fears over a rising variety of thugs obsessive about violence falling via the web as a result of they don’t seem to be categorized as terrorists.

Plotters may very well be prosecuted for planning an atrocity, while those that knew however did nothing may very well be arrested.

This would mirror terrorism laws.

And the Home Secretary admitted there’s a wider concern of “boys whose minds are warped by time spent in isolation online”.

Killer Axel Rudakubana was referred to the Government’s anti-terror programme Prevent thrice earlier than his assault on the dance class on July 29 2024, the inquiry heard.

But chairman Sir Adrian Fulford stated officers had been “hampered” by an absence of readability on whether or not they need to take somebody on who demonstrated indicators of being fixated on violence however with out adherence to a selected ideology.

Ms Mahmood stated: “Unlike terrorist attacks, if you are planning an attack without an underlying ideology, there is no crime on the statute book.”

She instructed laws to fill this hole would “be brought forward as soon as parliamentary time allows”.

Ms Mahmood later added: “The inquiry also identifies a wider issue – there are rising numbers of young men who are fascinated by extreme violence, boys whose minds are warped by time spent in isolation online.

“This is a risk to us all. Where someone is vulnerable to terrorism, they can and should be managed through the Prevent programme, however, where they are not, there is no clear approach to that risk.

“Today we published the terms of reference for the second part of the Southport Inquiry, and it will face directly into this challenge.”

But Shadow Home Office Minister Alicia Kearns informed the Daily Express that Labour had dithered over the problem.

She stated: “Two years on and the Government has still not acted on the extremely clear recommendation given by the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation: Introduce a new offence of an individual planning a mass casualty attack without terrorist motivation.

“Whilst nothing can heal the pain caused by Rudakubana, this offence would give police the powers to disrupt and properly charge future would be imitators.

“The Government rejected my amendment to introduce this offence a full year ago. They claimed then they would legislate themselves. The Home Secretary today repeated this promise.

“The Conservatives have a draft law ready, devised in conjunction with Jonathan Hall KC. We will work with the Government – but need to see action, not false promises.

“This is simply too important and urgent to accept further delays. They should bring forward emergency legislation.”

Sir Adrian stated rejecting Rudakubana for additional motion below the Prevent programme was the “wrong decision”.

He additionally stated there have been three additional “missed opportunities” for Rudakubana to be referred to Prevent.

But he stated he was unable to find out “with any degree of certainty” as to what the result would have been if Rudakubana had been adopted by the programme.

In his report, he stated: “Put simply, this was a clearly signposted disaster waiting to happen, yet there was no effective mechanism to prevent it.

“In my judgment, the events of July 29 2024 have exposed a significant gap in the mechanisms by which the public are provided protection, including by way of adoption by the Prevent programme.”

Ms Mahmood stated the Government had reviewed Prevent thresholds and revealed up to date steering.

She stated: “We’ve introduced a new Prevent assessment framework with mandatory training for counter-terrorism case officers. Oversight of repeat Prevent referrals has been strengthened, ensuring that cumulative risk is not missed and that senior sign-off is required before a case is closed.”