MAGINNIS FURY AT LABOUR MP
Maginnis fury at Labour MP
McNamara launches attack on new anti-terror laws
By MERVYN PAULEY
ULSTER Unionist Party security spokesman Ken Maginnis yesterday rounded on a senior Labour backbencher over his criticisms on the proposed new anti-terrorist laws to be pushed through the Commons tomorrow.
Mr Maginnis, MP for Fermanagh-South Tyrone, has dismissed a savaging of the proposals by former shadow spokesman on Northern Ireland, Kevin McNamara's, who, he said, had never been very helpful to people in Northern Ireland: "He lives in a sort of limbo world; his Irish republican sympathies are well-known," he said.
Mr Maginnis confided, however, that he had misgivings of his own about the new legislation. "What I fear about it is that it will be inadequate and ineffective," he said.
"Although we have to be thankful for what we have got, some very practical steps could be taken, like wiretap evidence being included. That's much better than the word of a senior police officer being contested."
And he suggested there would be popular backing for tough action against the dissident terrorist groups, including the reintroduction of internment.
He believed if it came to a choice between having "a succession of Omaghs" or the internment of a small group of well-known terrorists, the people would accept internment. But he criticised the Labour government for removing the power from the statute book.
At the weekend Mr McNamara questioned giving extra powers to the RUC to make it easier to convict terrorist suspects. Any misuse of the power, he warned, could end up generating sympathy for terrorism. His misgivings will help to fuel a revolt by Labour left-wingers, who are warning they could vote against the measures part of the London-Dublin fight-back against renegade terrorists in the wake of the Omagh bombing, the work of the self-styled Real IRA.
Mr McNamara is tabling an amendment protesting at the lack of time being allowed for the legislation when MPs return for the special session. The Lords debates the package on Thursday.
One of several Labour MPs worried about its implications, he warned: "Legislation which has gone through in a rush very often has created worse problems than it was hoped to solve.
"We have had a succession of tough laws and tough laws and tough laws and the horror has increased and increased and increased."
The Hull North MP said he was particularly concerned that the legislation would deny suspects the right of silence and he suggested it could
leave Britain in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.
"I don't believe that's the right way of dealing with this particular matter, but I believe there are more important questions of principle involved," he argued.
"If we are going to try to prevent the horrors we had in Omagh, and in Cape Town, and Kenya and Tanzania, there are better ways of dealing with it than rushing through legislation of this nature."
Downing Street insisted yesterday that a letter from Tony Blair to all Labour backbenchers ahead of the recall was not a bid to quell rebellion.
It was a matter of courtesy to explain to the MPs why the Prime Minister was interrupting their summer break.
No 10 has confirmed that the new anti-terror laws will be reviewed every 12 months.
Labour MP Tony McWalter, a member of the Northern Ireland Select Committee, insisted the legislation was necessary and would be supported at Westminster.
"If we see a carefully drafted, targeted attack on the people who continue to violate the democratic rule of the people of Ireland, and they are very small in number, then the House of Commons will have no difficulty approving it," he said.
Alan Beith, the Liberal Democrats' home affairs spokesman, said his party believed that urgent legislation was needed to deal with dangerous republican splinter groups.
MPs will see a draft of the Bill this afternoon, while the Bill itself will be published tomorrow morning, the Home Office indicated.
"We want to give MPs an early opportunity to see what it says," a spokesman said.
Although there has been criticism from MPs that they have not had the chance to see the Bill's provisions earlier, the spokesman said the department was simply clarifying publication arrangements, and that its plans had not been altered.
McNamara launches attack on new anti-terror laws
By MERVYN PAULEY
ULSTER Unionist Party security spokesman Ken Maginnis yesterday rounded on a senior Labour backbencher over his criticisms on the proposed new anti-terrorist laws to be pushed through the Commons tomorrow.
Mr Maginnis, MP for Fermanagh-South Tyrone, has dismissed a savaging of the proposals by former shadow spokesman on Northern Ireland, Kevin McNamara's, who, he said, had never been very helpful to people in Northern Ireland: "He lives in a sort of limbo world; his Irish republican sympathies are well-known," he said.
Mr Maginnis confided, however, that he had misgivings of his own about the new legislation. "What I fear about it is that it will be inadequate and ineffective," he said.
"Although we have to be thankful for what we have got, some very practical steps could be taken, like wiretap evidence being included. That's much better than the word of a senior police officer being contested."
And he suggested there would be popular backing for tough action against the dissident terrorist groups, including the reintroduction of internment.
He believed if it came to a choice between having "a succession of Omaghs" or the internment of a small group of well-known terrorists, the people would accept internment. But he criticised the Labour government for removing the power from the statute book.
At the weekend Mr McNamara questioned giving extra powers to the RUC to make it easier to convict terrorist suspects. Any misuse of the power, he warned, could end up generating sympathy for terrorism. His misgivings will help to fuel a revolt by Labour left-wingers, who are warning they could vote against the measures part of the London-Dublin fight-back against renegade terrorists in the wake of the Omagh bombing, the work of the self-styled Real IRA.
Mr McNamara is tabling an amendment protesting at the lack of time being allowed for the legislation when MPs return for the special session. The Lords debates the package on Thursday.
One of several Labour MPs worried about its implications, he warned: "Legislation which has gone through in a rush very often has created worse problems than it was hoped to solve.
"We have had a succession of tough laws and tough laws and tough laws and the horror has increased and increased and increased."
The Hull North MP said he was particularly concerned that the legislation would deny suspects the right of silence and he suggested it could
leave Britain in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.
"I don't believe that's the right way of dealing with this particular matter, but I believe there are more important questions of principle involved," he argued.
"If we are going to try to prevent the horrors we had in Omagh, and in Cape Town, and Kenya and Tanzania, there are better ways of dealing with it than rushing through legislation of this nature."
Downing Street insisted yesterday that a letter from Tony Blair to all Labour backbenchers ahead of the recall was not a bid to quell rebellion.
It was a matter of courtesy to explain to the MPs why the Prime Minister was interrupting their summer break.
No 10 has confirmed that the new anti-terror laws will be reviewed every 12 months.
Labour MP Tony McWalter, a member of the Northern Ireland Select Committee, insisted the legislation was necessary and would be supported at Westminster.
"If we see a carefully drafted, targeted attack on the people who continue to violate the democratic rule of the people of Ireland, and they are very small in number, then the House of Commons will have no difficulty approving it," he said.
Alan Beith, the Liberal Democrats' home affairs spokesman, said his party believed that urgent legislation was needed to deal with dangerous republican splinter groups.
MPs will see a draft of the Bill this afternoon, while the Bill itself will be published tomorrow morning, the Home Office indicated.
"We want to give MPs an early opportunity to see what it says," a spokesman said.
Although there has been criticism from MPs that they have not had the chance to see the Bill's provisions earlier, the spokesman said the department was simply clarifying publication arrangements, and that its plans had not been altered.
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/250
Published Date: 01-Sep-98
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