Jeremy Corbyn: ...be sensible to give a signal that we intend to reduce the length of pre-charge detention, by decreasing it to 14 days today rather than reaffirming the 28-day order? We reaffirmed the prevention of terrorism Acts throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Every time we said that the matter would be re-examined. Maybe this time, we should do something.
Jeremy Corbyn: ...much higher degree of involvement is needed. I conclude by differing with the hon. Member for The Wrekin. The beginning of his contribution seemed to be almost a counsel of despair that the war on terror must be pursued all over the place. I do not think that it has been overwhelmingly successful in either Iraq or Afghanistan. It certainly has not been successful in bringing about a...
Jeremy Corbyn: ...and safer streets in our society, but that is simply not the case. The fact that a number of young Muslims in our country are continually stopped and searched because they are perceived to be terror suspects leads not to greater cohesion, but to greater division and suspicion, in our society. The issues that unite large numbers of people in our society, particularly young Muslims, are...
Jeremy Corbyn: I will be brief, because there is very little time. We have been over the Prevention of Terrorism Act in the past. We have ritually renewed it every six months. Eventually, people began to realise that there must be some other way of doing things. As a result of post-9/11 syndrome, we passed various pieces of draconian legislation. We passed legislation allowing control orders to be imposed,...
Jeremy Corbyn: My right hon. Friend will recall the many debates that used to be held about the continuation of the prevention of terrorism Acts, which were routinely renewed every six months, in which everybody said that they were against it and deeply reluctant, but went ahead and did it nevertheless. Eventually the error of their ways was seen and there was a different approach, a different attitude and...
Jeremy Corbyn: ...to the wars that have so disfigured our society. That means a process of disarmament and a process of respect for law. It does not mean continuing what I believe to be the absolutely crazy war on terror into which President Bush led us after the dreadful events of 2001.
Jeremy Corbyn: ...the war. We have thus suffered a serious loss of liberties. That applies not just to the people who unfortunately ended up in Guantanamo Bay, but to every country that has pursued the absurd war on terror. These things are dangerous, and they go on for a long time. The war has now actively spread over into Pakistan and we have the ludicrous situation that occurred a couple of weeks ago:...
Jeremy Corbyn: ...Guildford four and the Birmingham six—which were all based on confessional evidence. In the case of the Guildford four, the evidence was drawn while they were in detention under the prevention of terrorism Act.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of those arrested in connection with suspected offences under (a) section 57 and (b) section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 have been (i) released without charge, (ii) charged, (iii) convicted and given custodial sentences, (iv) convicted and given non-custodial sentences and (v) recommended for deportation or made subject...
Jeremy Corbyn: ...allegation that there were weapons of mass destruction there and because we chose to follow US foreign policy. The war has done immense damage to this country and to the USA, and it has not reduced terrorism or extremism—indeed, it has probably had exactly the opposite effect throughout the region and in the wider world. We should look a bit more seriously at how we can withdraw from...
Jeremy Corbyn: In the Home Secretary's consultations over the period of detention without trial for terror suspects, will he bear in mind the fact that many of us feel that 28 days is already rather too long for detention without trial, and that the idea of extending the period to as long as 90 days could be counter-productive in gaining the co-operation and support of many in the country who wish to be...
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reviews of the ban on Kongra-Gel under anti terror legislation have recently taken place.
Jeremy Corbyn: ...Unionists. I have been a Member of the House since 1983 and like many other Members I have sat here and opposed many of the pieces of legislation to do with Northern Ireland: the Prevention of Terrorism Acts, the broadcasting ban, the travel ban and all sorts of legislation designed to support the idea that there could be a military solution in Northern Ireland, which suppression of speech...
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals who have not been charged or convicted in UK courts are held in prison under anti-terror laws; and what the nationality is of each prisoner.
Jeremy Corbyn: ...carried so that we establish a committee of inquiry into all the circumstances surrounding the run-up to the war, the aftermath of the war in Iraq and what we do in future. We live in a world where terrorism has been encouraged by the invasion of Iraq, and, I believe, by the continued presence in Afghanistan. If we want to live in a world of perpetual wars throughout this century, we are...
Jeremy Corbyn: ...Palestine. It does not. One side has nuclear weapons and F-16 jets, and is high-security in every sense, while the other has very little indeed. Is it surprising that some people are driven to terrorism? I remember very well a discussion that my hon. Friend and I had when we visited Gaza a few years ago. I have been there since, but on that visit, we put it plainly that we thought that...
Jeremy Corbyn: ...dangerous. Several speakers mentioned street children. Unless we do something to support street children—the victims of war—by giving them hope, education and housing, they will become the terror gangs, criminals and fighters of tomorrow. They know no other course. Finally, we must consider what the international mineral companies are doing and where coltan, diamonds, gold and all...
Jeremy Corbyn: ...organisations in other countries. We had the leadership of the African National Congress, the SWAPO leadership, people from the Congress party in India and many others who have been condemned for terrorism. In public meetings from time immemorial through to the present, they would make speeches about liberation struggles in other parts of the world that could be construed as glorifying...
Jeremy Corbyn: ...elected Members of the Palestinian Authority to address a meeting in the House, as many of us have done over the years. Their speeches describing the situation could be construed as glorifying terrorism. I do not necessarily think that would be the case, but it could happen. We are moving into dangerous, uncharted waters with the Bill. Perverse prosecutions will bring about serious...
Jeremy Corbyn: Does my hon. Friend agree that the effect of the prevention of terrorism Acts—and, indeed, the current proscribed lists—was often to choke off legitimate political debate and drive some people into the arms of extremists and others with bad intentions, whereas they should be brought into mainstream political discussion and debate?