Clegg fears Bill over-reaction to soldier murder

Nick Clegg has warned against “knee-jerk” reactions to the murder of soldier Lee Rigby as he restated his opposition to the so-called “snooper’s charter”.

The Deputy Prime Minister said measures in the Communications Data Bill were “disproportionate” and “unworkable”, despite claims from Cabinet colleagues that the legislation was necessary to ensure public safety.

He also warned that any measures to ban radicals such as Anjem Choudary from TV screens would make them heroes to extremist groups.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The brutal murder prompted calls from Home Secretary Theresa May and Defence Secretary Philip Hammond for Communications Data Bill legislation to be resurrected.

The controversial legislation would require internet companies to retain records of emails and social media messages for a year and allow police and security agencies to access the data, but not the content of messages.

The Deputy Prime Minister said: “We have got to react in a calm way but also a forensic way in deciding exactly what we can do to stop that kind of radicalisation, extremism taking root in individuals and communities.”

He added: “Very important parts of what was proposed just weren’t workable because the industry, the Facebooks, the Googles, and all these people upon whose co-operation we rely to go after the bad people just said it wasn’t really workable in its present form.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Other aspects of it have always struck me as perhaps being disproportionate.”

Speaking on his regular radio phone-in yesterday, Mr Clegg insisted he was not seeking to limit powers available to the police and security services.

“I have never suggested that the very considerable powers that our security services and the police have – far in excess, by the way, of many other forces in other parts of the world – should in any way be rolled back.”

Mr Clegg said mainstream Muslim groups were “furious” that Anjem Choudary, former leader of banned Islamic group Al Muhajiroun, was given airtime in the wake of the murder.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said the signal had to go out to young Muslim men “who might be susceptible to some of these vile, perverted ideologies” that such views were “not an acceptable or recognised understanding of their faith of Islam, it’s a total perversion and corruption of it”.

But he said it was “not for politicians to tell broadcasters who 
they can invite on their programmes”.

He added: “If you were to say the Government are going to go after this guy, we are going to stop him appearing on British television shows, guess what would happen in my view? He would become a hero in his own community.

“Far from actually discrediting his appalling ideology you would actually turn him into a figurehead. Is that smart? I don’t think it’s smart.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Clegg’s comments came as Woolwich Barracks Commander Lieutenant Colonel Bob Christopher paid tribute to Drummer Rigby, saying the best tribute to the soldier was to make sure his death did not separate the “military family” in Woolwich from the support it received.

He said: “Drummer Lee Rigby was in London reaching out to young men and women who want to serve their country by joining the Armed Forces.

“This was a job he loved doing, and he was very good at it. He was tragically killed while travelling home from that job.”

He said the Army had “made a home in Woolwich” for almost 300 years and Drummer Rigby was proud to live and work in this community.

Related topics: