Fresh review to further improve London’s terror preparedness

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has appointed Lord Toby Harris to complete a new and wide-ranging independent report into what could be done to improve London’s preparedness for a major terrorist incident.

Lord Harris published his Preparedness Review in 2016, at a time when the backdrop of terrorism was shaped by marauding firearms attacks such as the terrible attacks at the Bataclan, Paris, and those in Brussels and Nice.

At the time, the Harris Review made more than 100 recommendations, the vast majority of which have now been implemented, resulting in significant improvements to safety of our city – including the speed and coordination from our emergency services, intelligence services and partner agencies to a terrorist attack.

Since then, however, London has experienced a succession of attacks, particularly in 2017, when terrorists, often acting alone and radicalised online, used vehicles and knives to carry out attacks. A bomb attack in the Manchester Arena in 2017 also killed innocent children and in Salisbury a chemical attack brought death, injury, and a new kind of threat to the UK.

The new review will consider the changing threat of terrorism facing London and any implications of the pandemic for London’s immediate and long-term preparedness for an attack. Khan said that extremists are set on exploiting the uncertainty and hardship caused by the pandemic for their own gain and has now instigated a new and fresh review to pick up on learning from the attacks in the last five years and identify any gaps in our city’s response and capabilities to ensure the London is as prepared as it can be to deal with the threat posed by terrorists.

Khan, said: “Nothing is more important to me than keeping Londoners safe. Londoners have a right to expect us to be prepared for any potential attack on our city and that is why I have asked Lord Harris to undertake a fresh review into London’s preparedness.

“Whilst we have made some significant improvements since 2016, a lot has changed. The attacks on our city in 2017, the Manchester Arena bombing, and more recently, the attacks in Streatham and at Fishmongers’ Hall, means there’s much more to be learned. We know extremists are set on exploiting the uncertainty and hardship caused by the pandemic for their own gain and are adapting their tactics – including using the internet during lockdown to spread disinformation as well as attempting to radicalise the vulnerable to commit violent acts. We must adapt and strengthen our city’s capability to prepare and respond to the evolving threat of terrorism and the impact of the pandemic. Lives depend on it.”

Lord Toby Harris said: “I am delighted that the Mayor has invited me to conduct this review. I am aware that a huge amount has been done to implement the recommendations I made five years ago, but since then a lot has changed. The nature of the terrorist threat has altered and we must also learn from the tragic events we have seen in London and elsewhere in the intervening five years. The purpose of this review is to take stock of where we are now and whether there are additional steps that should be taken to help ensure the safety of Londoners.”