Watchdog doubts PM’s plans to widen terrorism laws

The Government’s independent reviewer of terrorism and state threat legislation has said Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to widen terrorism laws to include killers such as Axel Rudakubana risk overwhelming counterterrorism officers who would potentially have to investigate football hooligans and murderers like Lucy Letby alongside al-Qaeda suspects and hostile states. Jonathan Hall KC has been asked to investigate whether the definition of terrorism should be widened to include perpetrators who commit violence for the sake of violence. He told the Times: “The PM talked about whether we should have a new sort of terrorism where violence is used to terrorise. But it’s quite hard to create a barrier, if that is the new criterion, between real terrorism and stuff that is not.” Neil Basu, the former head of counterterrorism, agreed suggesting the PM could be making a “colossal mistake”. Elsewhere, concerns have been raised about potential impacts on civil liberties, with Downing Street asked if the review will consider protests that are disruptive but peaceful an example of terrorism, but a No 10 source said such protests would not be considered.