UK government reviewing Prevent anti-terror scheme

Home Secretary Priti Patel warns of threat from 'lone wolf' attackers, as MPs voice safety fears

Britain's Home Secretary Priti Patel said a range of measures were being considered to protect MPs during constituency surgeries. Reuters

The UK government will continue its review into the Prevent anti-radicalisation scheme following the fatal stabbing of Conservative MP Sir David Amess.

Home Secretary Priti Patel on Sunday said the long-awaited review, which was initially launched in 2019, would ensure the scheme was “fit for purpose” and would indicate where the system needs strengthening.

On Saturday, it emerged that the main suspect in the stabbing, Ali Harbi Ali, was on the Prevent programme several years ago, only to be removed.

Mr Ali, described as a British citizen of Somali heritage, has been detained under the Terrorism Act and was being questioned at a London police station.

“Prevent is going through an independent review right now,” Ms Patel told Sky News.

“It’s timely to do that, we have to learn, we obviously constantly have to learn, not just from incidents that have taken place but how we can strengthen our programmes.”

With an annual budget of around £40 million ($55m), Prevent aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

Former justice secretary Robert Buckland said more co-operation between schools, the health service and other public agencies was required to ensure security forces can intervene early to prevent terror attacks.

Mr Buckland said he hoped the review being led by former Charity Commission chairman William Shawcross would “urgently” lead to a more “joined-up” approach.

“I very much hope that when it comes to community supervision and community involvement with people like this particular individual, that it is much more joined-up between health services, education, whatever it might be, who have had some involvement with that individual in the past,” he told Times Radio.

“And I think that element of being joined-up is what we really need to work on urgently.”

Julia Amess, the widow of Conservative MP SIr David Amess, was comforted by relatives at Belfairs Methodist Church, where he died, on Monday morning. She stayed for about 15 minutes. PA

Julia Amess (second left), the widow of Conservative MP Sir David Amess, arrives at Belfairs Methodist Church to read tributes left to her late husband. PA

The Rev Clifford Newman of Belfairs Methodist Church hugs Sir David Amess's widow. AP

A daughter of SIr David Amess is comforted as she views flowers and tributes left for her late father. AP

One of Sir David Amess's daughters views flowers and tributes left for her late father at Belfairs Methodist Church. AP

Julia Amess, left, the widow of Sir David Amess, stands with friends and family members to view flowers and tributes left for her late husband. PA

The mayor of Southend, Councillor Margaret Borton, and mace bearer Adam Tregoning visit Belfairs Methodist Church to pay their respects. Getty Images

Police officers stand outside Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, England. Getty Images

Tributes outside Belfairs Methodist Church. Getty Images

A Union Jack flies at half mast after the killing of British MP David Amess. Reuters

A book of condolence inside the Southend West Conservative Association's Iveagh Hall. Getty Images

Flowers with a note for Sir David Amess lie outside Parliament buildings in London. Reuters

A new piece of graffiti artwork depicting the late Sir David Amess appears on a wall in Leigh-on-Sea, England. Getty Images

A photograph of Sir David Amess is placed on a noticeboard outside the Iveagh Hall, the home of the Southend West Conservative Association in Leigh-on-Sea. AP

A Police officer arranges flowers and tributes outside Belfairs Methodist Church in Eastwood Road North. PA

Armed police officers at the scene near the Belfairs Methodist Church, where Conservative MP Sir David Amess died after he was stabbed several times at a constituency surgery. PA

A man was reported to have run into the building and targeted the veteran politician. Police said a suspect had been arrested. AP

A police officer guards the scene. PA

An air ambulance arrived at the scene, before his death was later confirmed by Essex Police. AP

A police cordon was erected around the crime scene and armed officers were seen standing outside the church. AP

Nazir Afzal, a former chief prosecutor with the UK's Crown Prosecution Service, also said the system was not working in its current guise.

“What’s so depressing is Prevent’s deradicalisation programme is failing on too many occasions,” he said on Twitter.

On Sunday, the Home Secretary announced politicians were being offered “immediate” security changes, including plans to provide police protection while they held constituency surgeries.

Asked if she would consider airport-style security, Ms Patel said: “That would be with the police and the House [Parliamentary] authorities. There are lots of things under consideration already.”

MPs could also be asked to share their whereabouts at all times with police, she said.

Ms Patel said security services were watching for people who may have become radicalised online during coronavirus lockdowns and pose the threat of a “lone wolf” attack.

“Threats are always there and if you listen to my colleagues, even the director general of MI5, he has spoken publicly about lone actors”, she said on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.

The Labour party's shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy admitted she did not feel safe in public in her Wigan constituency and was not sure the threat to MPs could ever be fully eliminated.

Andrew Rosindell, the MP for Romford said MPs were “a little bit” frightened after the fatal stabbing and that “if it could happen to David, it could happen to any MP”.

Amess, 69, who had been an MP since 1983, was meeting constituents at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on Friday afternoon when he was stabbed multiple times in a frenzied attack.

His death comes five years after the Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox, was murdered in 2016 as she was on her way to a constituency surgery.