Judge-led review needed on strategy for lone attackers

The Shadow Home Secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, is urging the government to launch a judge-led review into the official strategy for tackling attacks by lone terrorists.

The Labour MP has written to Priti Patel offering to put aside party politics and work together, calling for a review into how a range of public services that could intervene at critical points are functioning.

Following the recent attack in Reading, in which three men were killed, Thomas-Symonds said that such services would include probation, the prison system, mental health services, local authorities and housing providers.

Thomas-Symonds said Labour was willing to put aside party differences to work with the government on a review.

He said: “The police and security services have responded incredibly bravely to these incidents and foiled many more, thanks to their skill and dedication. However, they cannot fight this battle alone. When looking to identify, monitor and, in some cases, treat subjects who pose an enormous risk to society, we rely on a wide range of services, such as probation, the prison system, local authorities, mental health workers, housing providers and many more.

“That is why I have written to the home secretary to see if we can work together to set up a judge-led review, to undertake an independent assessment of the systemic response needed to address the highly dangerous and growing threat of lone attackers, with all necessary security safeguards in place.

“Lone attackers, intent on causing carnage, have taken the lives of innocent people, injured more and caused enormous suffering to all those affected. Now we must come together and redouble efforts to ensure each of these vital services have the resources they need and are working together in the most effective and impactful way, ultimately in a bid to save lives.”

The suspect in the Reading attack, Khairi Saadallah, is understood to have been on the radar of multiple public agencies, including MI5, but having twice been assessed by security services, was deemed to pose no danger of staging an attack.