Home Secretary says ‘gap in law' on violent attackers will be closed
Yvette Cooper said the new tools will enable the criminal justice system to 'close the gap' between terror suspects, who can be jailed for life for planning attacks, and individuals not driven by a particular ideology.
Police would be given powers to apprehend them before they carry out attacks.
Ms Cooper told BBC Radio 4's State of Terror series: 'There is a gap in the law around the planning of mass attacks that can be just as serious (as terrorism) in their implications for communities, their impact, the devastation that they can cause and the seriousness of the crime.
'We will tighten legislation so that that is taken as seriously as terrorism.'
She said legislation would be similar to that which allows police to arrest terror suspects for steps taken to prepare for an attack, such as research, which is not currently available without links to an ideological cause.
'We've seen cases of growing numbers of teenagers potentially radicalising themselves online and seeing all kinds of extremist material online in their bedrooms,' she said.
'We have to make sure that the systems can respond while not taking our eye off the ball of the more long-standing ideological threats.'
Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana, who killed three girls at a dance class, is among the individuals who could have been covered by the legislation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
HUGO DUNCAN: Too much G7 hubris from Chancellor
Rachel Reeves likes to brag that Britain is the fastest-growing economy in the G7 – a 'beacon of stability' in an uncertain world. She will soon have to change her tune. Yes, the economy grew by 0.7 per cent in the first quarter, leaving the US, Germany, France and the rest of the G7 in Britain's wake. But it is never wise to dine out on one set of figures, and GDP contracted by 0.3 per cent in April and 0.1 per cent in May, leaving the second quarter looking somewhat iffy to say the least. Britain could soon be at, or close to, the bottom of the G7 pile. What will the Chancellor say then? The harsh reality, as opposed to Reeves' rose-tinted rhetoric, is seen in the latest jobs figures, which make grim reading. Unemployment is now at a four-year high of 4.7 per cent and 178,000 jobs have been lost since the election, according to the Office for National Statistics. As Britain loses its fastest-growing-in-the-G7 crown, we continue to 'lead' the pack in ways the Chancellor is less keen to talk about. At 3.6 per cent, we now have the highest rate of inflation among the group. This muddies the waters for the Bank of England and the outlook for interest rates – though another cut remains likely next month. While Reeves seeks credit for four rate cuts on her watch, which she sees as a by-product of the 'stability' she has fostered, borrowing costs may have in fact fallen further and faster but for her own policies. The £25billion rise in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) that are paid by employers has pushed up prices and hit employment. As has the rise in the minimum wage. Throw in Labour's jobs-destroying workers' rights package, and the menace of stagflation looms large. A pattern is developing. When in Opposition, Reeves described NICs as a 'jobs tax' but, when in office, raised it anyway. At the Mansion House last week she warned that 'regulation acts as a boot on the neck of businesses'. Yet a fresh wave of red tape is coming. And she was right when she said this spring that 'we can't tax and spend our way to higher living standards and better public services'. But that is exactly the policy that she is pursuing, with more tax hikes and spending to come. So while she and her minions in the Treasury boast of 'stability', the country faces a summer of speculation over which taxes will rise and who will be hit. 'Working people' – the legions Labour vowed to protect – is the answer whether they be 'wealthy' or on 'modest incomes'. The damage to the economy and livelihoods will be stark. But perhaps most worrying of all is our standing on the bond markets. Bond yields, which are a measure of what investors charge a country to lend it money, are higher here than in any other G7 country. That's right, it costs the British Government more to borrow than the US, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Japan. It even costs Britain more to borrow than Greece. According to the Office for Budget Responsibility: 'The UK Government faces the third-highest borrowing costs of any advanced economy after New Zealand and Iceland.' Far from being a 'beacon of stability', we are at the mercy of the bond markets, which are not keen on what they see. Britain's economy does stand apart from other members of the G7 under Labour. But not in the ways that the Chancellor would like.
Daily Mail
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
NIGEL FARAGE: If you're a criminal, I'm putting you on notice. Follow the law or face serious justice
Britain is lawless. Over the past 20 years, crime has become commonplace across Britain – something Labour and the Tories have accepted rather than challenged. Labour's relentless focus on restricting free speech, raising taxes, and releasing hardened criminals early has come at the direct expense of policing and public safety. We must hold the Conservatives equally accountable, they've been in power throughout this crisis. They introduced the disastrous £200 shoplifting charter, effectively incentivising theft under that threshold and allowing criminals to face no real consequences. They eroded public trust and safety. There's no question: Britain is lawless and it needs Reform. That is why today I am laying out my party's plans for how we take back control of our streets from the criminals who currently plague them. Over the last 20 years, witnessing and experiencing crime has become normalised, with Britons feeling helpless and an overworked police force struggling to keep up. Government funding seems to be going to everything except keeping the people of this country safe on the streets and secure in their homes. Moreover, the Government seems to be doing everything it can to increase the likelihood of crime by importing droves of unvetted men into our towns and cities. Total crime is now 50 per cent higher than it was in the 1990s, and twice as high as in the 1980s. The current figures today are four times greater than they were in the 1970s. Something is fundamentally wrong with both our justice system and the approach towards criminal prosecutions. Our prison system is broken and, in most cases, at full capacity. Violent repeat offenders are being released early and in many cases people do not feel confident that reporting crimes to the police will lead to justice. A recent study has revealed that 44 per cent of violent crimes go unreported and over 64 per cent of robberies and thefts. One of the greatest measures of how a country is faring is the level of trust the public holds with government officials and their ability to keep us safe. From successive Labour and Conservative governments, that trust has been completely lost. By deporting 10,400 foreign prisoners, Reform will end the crisis of prison overcrowding. There's no justification for taxpayers funding the lives of criminals who shouldn't be here in the first place. Many break the law just by entering the UK, then commit further crimes once here – disrespecting our laws, culture, and civility. The only acceptable response is deportation. Reform will commit to the building of five new 'Nightingale' style prisons across the UK. Similar to what Denmark has done, we will negotiate a deal with countries such as Kosovo to ensure prison overcrowding is not a problem that occurs in Britain. For too long, Labour and the Tories have sent the message that crime in Britain carries little to no consequence. Reform will change that. We will ensure that the punishment actually fits the crime – not our current system where people are jailed for tweets while violent criminals walk free after serving a two-year sentence. Reform will build a justice system that properly investigates and prosecutes all crimes. Britain will no longer send the message that robbery, theft, and antisocial behaviour are acceptable. I will ensure any crime, big or small, will be investigated and perpetrators will face justice. Under a Reform government, we will have full-tariff sentences. Life will mean life if I am your prime minister. There will be no early release and no suspended sentences for serious violent offenders, sexual offenders and knife possession. We will end the £200 shoplifters' charter – all shoplifters will face arrest. We will also introduce mandatory life imprisonment for drug trafficking. Reform UK will be the toughest party on law and order this country has ever seen. We will cut crime in half. We will take back control of our streets, we will take back control of our courts and prisons. If you're a criminal, I am putting you on notice. In 2029 you have a choice to make: be a law-abiding citizen or face serious justice.
Daily Mail
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Evil nurse Lucy Letby and Sara Sharif's killer stepmother 'are pals and spend hours playing Uno together behind bars'
Evil nurse Lucy Letby and Sara Sharif 's killer stepmother 'are pals and spend hours playing Uno together behind bars', it has been reported. The child killers allegedly while away the hours in their comfortable cells at Surrey's HMP Bronzefield with endless rounds of the popular card game. Letby, 35, is serving life for murdering seven infants and trying to kill seven others while working as a neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Meanwhile, Beinash Batool, 31, has been locked up for life with a minimum of 33 years for murdering her ten-year-old stepdaughter Sara Sharif. She joined Letby behind bars in December last year, after the former nurse was jailed in August 2023, with both held on Unit 4 of the 527-inmate prison. It has been claimed the heinous pair also spend much of their days in each other's cells as well as in the kitchen, making cheese toasties and chatting. But it is their taste for Uno - where users play snap with coloured cards, shouting 'Uno' when they have one left - which has even inmates at Europe's largest female prison deeply unsettled, it has been reported. A source told The Sun the pair have allegedly become tight: 'It's a grim spectacle. They spend ages at the table playing and get really into it. 'People are angry, but staff have to do what they can to keep prisoners happy.' They both have enhanced prisoner status, it has been claimed, the most advanced tier of an incentives scheme for inmates, denoting the best behaviour behind bars. Such prisoners are afforded more privileges, like wearing their own clothes, more visits, more money or a TV in their cell. The source said Batool and Letby's alleged enhanced status - which the former nurse was fast-tracked to, the Mail has previously reported - sees them enjoy better food and more freedom. They are at risk of attack by other inmates, they claimed, so the pair are quite closely surveyed by prison staff. But apart from that, they reported, both their lives will remain pretty comfortable with further good behaviour. 'The difference between them is that Batool does not discuss her crime, while Letby tells anyone who will listen that', they alleged. They also said they both reportedly have jobs at the prison, which is run by private firm Sodexo - Batool works in the library while Letby undertakes cleaning tasks. They also both have TVs with Freeview channels, a DVD player and books and films available to order from the library, it was claimed. Letby reportedly often attends legal meetings to plan for her appeal. Batool and Letby have equally grisly company on the unit, which also houses Sian Hedges, locked up for life last year for killing her 18-month-old son Alfie Phillips. Former prison officer Linda de Sousa Abreu, disgraced for having sex with an inmate, was also locked up there before her release last month. When Batool was jailed last year for the murder of little Sara, the girl's father Urfan Sharif was also locked up for life and will serve at least 40 years. Sara's uncle Faisal Malik was also imprisoned for 16 years minimum for causing or allowing the death of a child. A pre-inquest review of her death was held today. The young girl suffered more than 70 fresh injuries and 25 fractures after her father and stepmother battered her to death at their home in Woking, Surrey - before fleeing to Pakistan. Mr Justice Cavanagh said in his sentencing remarks: 'This poor child was battered with great force, again and again... 'This poor child was battered with great force, again and again. 'It is no exaggeration to describe the campaign of abuse against Sara as torture.' She had a fractured collar bone, two fractured shoulder blades, fractured ribs, a fractured humerus, eleven fractures to her spinal column and fractures to both her hands. Sara also had a 'serious brain injury', sustained a few days before her death, and two burn wounds on her bottom, which matched an iron at the house. In the weeks before she died, she was tied up, covered with a hood, beaten with a cricket bat and metal pole and bitten. Letby used a variety of horrifying methods to secretly attack 14 babies between 2015 and 2016 on the neonatal ward at the Chester hospital she used to work at. Doctors at the hospital began to notice a significant rise in the number of babies who died or unexpectedly collapsed on the ward. They could not find a medical explanation so alerted police, who began investigating. The former nurse was first arrested in July 2018 and charged in November 2020. Evidence was presented at court of her methods of attack, which included injecting air and insulin into babies' bloodstream and infusing air into their gastrointestinal tract. She also force fed an overdose of milk or fluids and inflicted impact trauma. Her intention, it was found, was to kill the children - but deceive her colleagues into believing they had died of natural causes. Pascale Jones of the Crown Prosecution Service has previously said: 'She perverted her learning and weaponised her craft to inflict harm, grief and death. 'Time and again, she harmed babies, in an environment which should have been safe for them and their families. 'Her attacks were a complete betrayal of the trust placed in her. 'My thoughts are with families of the victims who may never have closure, but who now have answers to questions which had troubled them for years.'
