PRITI Patel today declares there will be “no more soft sentences” for terrorists as ministers unleash a sweeping crackdown after the London Bridge attack.
The Home Secretary reveals sweeping new protections for the public will be rushed through Parliament to stop another convicted extremist like Usman Khan striking again.
Under the tough new blueprint promised by the Tories during the general election campaign:
- The most serious terror offenders who receive extended determinate sentences will get no early release at all.
- Non-lethal offences such as preparing acts of terrorism will now get a mandatory minimum of 14, up from as little as three years now.
- Lie detectors will be used on terror convicts in jail for the first time to see whether they have reformed.
Writing for The Sun today, the senior Cabinet minister declares it “the largest overhaul of our response to terrorism in nearly two decades”.
Ms Patel adds: “Have no doubt: if you seek to attack our people, destroy our families and tear our communities apart then your punishment will be severe.
“There will be no more soft sentences and no more roaming the streets unrestricted.” Khan killed two in a frenzied knife attack on November 29 after being released from Belmarsh early on license, before being shot dead by cops.
The crackdown enforced jointly by Justice Secretary Robert Buckland will also see a major overhaul of the terrorist licensing regime, and the number of specialist counter terror probation officers will be doubled.
The sentencing changes will come in a new Counter-Terrorism Bill, to be put in front of MPs within 100 days.
An independent review is also being launched into the way the array of different bodies investigate and monitor terror offenders, including MI5 and the police.
And an extra £90m will be poured into the police’s counter terrorism budget, raising it to £906m a year.
Justice Secretary Mr Buckland added: “Terrorists pose a great risk to our society and our way of life, which is why we must bring them to justice and keep the public safe.
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“Coupled with our strong measures to manage terrorists behind bars, this Counter-Terrorism Bill toughens restrictions on offenders’ communications, increases the number of specialist staff managing them and will ensure they are monitored effectively.”
Labour dubbed the moves “an admission of failure, after ten years in government”.
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott MP added: “Major terrorist outrages have occurred all too frequently, including attacks by perpetrators who were known to the security services”.
By Priti Patel, Home Secretary
TWO months ago a convicted terrorist went on a murderous rampage at Fishmongers’ Hall.
He brutally ended two promising and brilliant young lives, causing catastrophic and lifelong harm to their loved ones and all those affected.
Their loss is unthinkable. We must do everything in our power to help them and stop others going through the same torment.
My job as Home Secretary is to keep people safe and that means confronting some cold hard truths about our homeland security.
So, when I visited London Bridge with the Prime Minister in the aftermath of this atrocity, we immediately vowed to take a fundamentally new approach.
Sadly, terrorism knows no boundaries. Violent and hate-fuelled extremists use an ever-increasing range of tactics: vehicles, knives, bombs, guns or even the improvised blades suspected in the attack at Her Majesty’s Prison Whitemoor.
The nature of the threat we face is diverse and we must respond with all the tools we can to catch terrorists, lock them up for longer, and stop them posing an ongoing danger to the public.
That’s why, with the Justice Secretary, I am today launching the largest overhaul of our response to terrorism in nearly two decades.
There will be tougher sentences for the most serious terrorist offenders and we’ll keep them behind bars for longer by ending early release.
We’ll keep much closer tabs on those who are let out, with tighter restrictions and longer licence periods.
Lie detector tests mean offenders will no longer be able to con their way to freedom by bluffing that they have changed.
We’re also empowering our agencies with the tools they need to fight back with more money for CT policing and double the number of specialist parole officers.
And we’ll ensure people continue to be kept safe with an independent review of the way we deal with convicted terrorists.
Above all else, victims will come first, with an urgent review of the help they receive.
They are the people that matter, and they are why we are doing this.
I am utterly unapologetic about getting tough on terrorists who want to destroy our way of life.
I refuse to put their rights above those of their victims.
Have no doubt: if you seek to attack our people, destroy our families and tear our communities apart then your punishment will be severe.
There will be no more soft sentences and no more roaming the streets unrestricted.
After Fishmongers’ Hall we made a promise to honour the victims of terrorism by preventing further tragedies.
Today we are delivering on that promise.
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