The revealation came in the wake of London attacks at the weekend saw seven people killed and 48 injured. In an address, Mrs May said the changing threat means ‘we need to review Britain’s counterterrorism strategy to make sure the police and security services have all the powers they need’. She further added: ‘And if we need to increase the length of custodial sentences for terrorism-related offences, even apparently less serious offences, that is what we will do.’
Questions as to effectiveness
Commentators believe that Mrs May will increase the prison terms for terrorist offences if she is re-elected tomorrow. The Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011 imposes restrictions on people suspected of being terrorists but who have not yet been convicted of any offences but are less stringent than the ‘control orders’ introduced by Labour which were the subject of legal challenges. However, many believe that longer prision sentences will be no actual deterent on the fundamentalists who are prepared to die in their terrorist acts.
Email your news and story ideas to: [email protected]
