Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty said:

"Liberty is very disappointed by the Prime Ministers remarks. We want a unifying leader, not one who sows the seeds of discord.

Mr Blair says the rules of the game have changed, but public safety has never been a game. The fundamental values of a democracy cannot be changed because we are provoked by terrorists."

Our main concerns:

We are disappointed by his thinly veiled attacks on the courts and political critics.

We are alarmed by his intention to return individuals to countries where they may face torture. Torturing, or sending people to face torture, can never be justified.

We are deeply concerned that the criminal offence of condoning, glorifying, or justifying terrorism is broad enough to catch moderate as well as ranting politicians and religious spokespeople.


The Prime Minister's 12 point plan:

• Introduce new grounds for deporting and excluding people from the UK
• Amend human rights laws, if necessary, to prevent legal obstacles to new deportation rules
• Home secretary automatically to consider deporting any foreigner involved in listed extremist bookshops, centres, organisations and websites
• Make justifying or glorifying terrorism anywhere an offence
• Automatically refuse asylum to anyone with anything to do with terrorism
• Set a maximum time limit for extraditions to other countries
• Examine calls for police to be able to hold terror suspects for longer before pressing charges
• Use more control orders against British terror suspects
• Increase the number of special judges hearing terror cases
• Ban the Hizb ut Tahrir and Al-Muhajiroun organisations - and successor groups
• Review the threshold for gaining British citizenship
• Create a list of preachers who will be kept out of the UK
• Use biometric visas for those from designated countries