Lib Dems urged to revise election manifesto in light of Manchester attack after critics said the party would put lives at risk
Tim Farron’s pledges to 'roll back state surveillance' and scrap the Government's anti-extremism strategy have been criticised
THE LIB DEMS were urged to revise their election manifesto in the light of the Manchester attack after critics said the party would put lives at risk.
Tim Farron’s manifesto pledges to “roll back state surveillance”, scrap the Government’s anti-extremism strategy Prevent and vows to “oppose Conservative attempts to undermine encryption”.
Tory candidate Philip Davies said the “unacceptable” plans from the Lib Dems would put people in danger of future terror attacks.
He said: “The Lib Dems quite clearly can’t be trusted to take the decisions needed to make us safe.
"I hope they will have a change of heart in the light of what has happened in Manchester.”
But Lib Dem peer and former senior police chief Lord Paddick said what was needed was a “targeted, effective surveillance” of suspected terrorists and “not mass spying on the public”.
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He said: “These terrorists want to undermine our freedoms and liberty, if we give up on those values then they have won.
“We have the best security and police services in the world, and they need to be given the resources they need to do their job.
“That’s why the Liberal Democrats would invest an extra £300m a year in our police to support community policing and intelligence gathering, and replace the flawed Prevent programme with a scheme that works.”
Last night Mr Farron replaced a scheduled party political broadcast with a personal message responding to the “heinous attack” in Manchester.
He said the country’s remarkable response to the atrocity was proof that the terrorists had “already lost”.