Lib Dems Back Police Over Terror Trials

11.18.55am GMT Sun 6th Feb 2005

Phone tapping is justified to help combat terror

Liberal Democrats believe that Britain should be made safer by allowing telephone tapping information to be used in the trials of those suspected of terrorism. This reform is now supported by London's top policeman Sir Ian Blair.

Richard Allanach, the Liberal Democrats parliamentary spokesman for Rugby and Kenilworth, explained "After the terrorist attack on the United States on 11 September 2001 the then Home Secretary called for an open debate on how we should strike a new balance between safety and liberty. At this point the Liberal Democrats agreed that we should now allow the prosecution to use telephone tapping information in court."

"Sadly the Labour party did not act to build a cross party consensus on Britain's security. Instead they want a situation where people can be put under house arrest whenever the Home Secretary signs a piece of paper. This is not acceptable to either the Liberal Democrats or most other parties."