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1.15pm update
Reid: Security policy must not be based on fear
Alan Travis, Hlne Mulholland and agencies
Wednesday April 25, 2007
Guardian Unlimited (Related)
John Reid, the home secretary. Photograph: Rui Vieira/PA.
Mr Reid's latest assessment of the terror threat facing Britain came as both Downing Street and the Home Office issued statements backing the head of Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist branch's condemnation of people whose leaks he said had compromised recent anti-terror investigations.
Despite the high-level denials, the Liberal Democrats produced a dossier of what they said were "numerous cases" in which "Whitehall sources" had given unauthorised briefings during ongoing terror investigations.
The home secretary's latest assessment of the nature of the terrorist threat came in a speech to a Royal United Services Institute counter-terrorism conference in London.
He said that the decision to split the Home Office would ensure a "faster, brighter and more agile approach" to the terrorist threat but, while there would be 100% commitment, 100% success could never be guaranteed.
"Security policy fed only on fear would debase the values and ideas the British at their best have advanced for centuries. For all its uncertainties, our future has to be about advancing liberty and security not liberty or security.
"In other words, scaring people does not produce security," said Mr Reid.
"We are led to value security through what our liberties enable us to appreciate."
Addressing private and public sector experts involved in protecting what is called the "critical national infrastructure" - such as nuclear power stations - the home secretary said that the introduction of a new Office of Security and Counter-terrorism within the Home Office was needed to provide a greater strategic capacity in the fight against terrorism.
It was necessary because of al-Qaida's ambitions to "cripple the financial markets" so they "bleed us to bankruptcy" and attack the west's energy supplies and electronic networks.
"I believe it is crucial that the home secretary wakes up and thinks about the security of the nation first and foremost every morning. That is what I do now," said Mr Reid.
The Ministry of Justice, due to open on May 9, will deal with criminal justice.
Yesterday, Mr Reid revealed that beefing up the Home Office's counter-terrorism work is expected to cost £15m and Sir David Normington, the permanent secretary, confirmed that the department would recruit 150 extra staff.
Mr Reid also told the Commons all-party home affairs select committee that the maximum time terror suspects could be held without charge would not be extended beyond 28 days unless agreement could be reached across parties.
Only last week, Tony McNulty, the junior Home Office minister, told MPs that he hoped to create a new system that would extend the period suspects could be held without charge.
Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have expressed their opposition to such a move.
Mr Reid said: "If there is no national consensus then I will not proceed with it."
Meanwhile, the new head of MI5 yesterday briefed Mr Reid, Tony Blair and other cabinet colleagues on the terror threat facing Britain.
Jonathan Evans delivered his briefing at the first meeting of the government's new committee on security and terrorism.
The committee was set up as part of the reorganisation of the Home Office.
The shadow home secretary, David Davis, said it was "extraordinary" that it had taken more than five years since the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, DC, to set up the new committee.
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