‘Together Against Terror?’ - widening the debate with London's communities

62/05
8 December 2005

The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) will be holding a one-day conference ‘Together Against Terror?’ on Monday 12 December 2005 with the aim of widening the London and national debate on how our society should respond to the terrorist threat.

The conference will be open all day to the press, with a press conference at 11.45am by Len Duvall (Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority) Shami Chakrabarti (Director of Liberty) and Chris Fox (President of the Association of Chief Police Officers)

Attendees will include representatives from London’s communities, academics, police officers, politicians and some of the relatives of the victims of the 7 July bombings.

Len Duvall, Chair of the Authority, said:

“Combating terrorism is not just a police responsibility. Everyone has a role to play and an opinion that should be heard.

“The MPA consults with London’s communities to find out what they expect from the police. We have invited over a hundred people, representing London’s communities and stakeholders, to take part in an informed debate on 12 December and we are eager to hear people’s views.”

Len Duvall continued:

“It is crucial that we involve as many people as possible in this debate. To this end we have published 10 questions on the MPA website seeking the public’s views on how to combat terrorism. We hope this will provide important input from the public about how we, together with the police, should respond to the terrorist threat.

"The MPA, together with the MPS, has been holding public discussions on issues around terrorism and community response since the atrocities of 7 July. With ‘Together Against Terror?’ we want to take the debate to the next level.”

Notes to editors

1. Media attendance

Please call the MPA Press Office 020 7202 0217/0218 to confirm attendance.

2. Media interviews

Len Duvall, Chair of the MPA, Cindy Butts and Reshard Auladin, deputy chairs of the MPA and Lord Toby Harris, member of the MPA, will be available for interview before the event and on the day.

3. Together Against Terror? Conference

Date: 12 December 2005
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Venue: Central Westminster Hall, Storey's Gate, Westminster SW1H 9NH.

4.Speaking at the conference

Below is a schedule of the speakers, themes and timings for 'Together Against Terror?'

• 09:30-10:30
  The terrorist threat? How real is it, and how new?
  Sir Ian Blair (Commissioner, Metropolitan Police Service)
  Sir John Gieve (Permanent Secretary, Home Office)
• 10:30-11:30
  How reasonable is lethal force? Do the ends justify the means?
  Chris Fox (President, Association of Chief Police Officers)
  Dr Shahrar Ali (Executive Member, Society for Applied Philosophy & Editor, Philosophy Today)
• 12:15-13:15
  Divided we stand? Which counter terrorism tactics command public support?
  Nuala O'Loan (Police Ombudsman Northern Ireland)
  Dr Ghayasuddin Siddiqui (Leader, The Muslim Parliament of Great Britain)
• 14:15-15:15
  Liberty versus security? Must we choose between our safety and our rights?
  Shami Chakrabarti (Director, Liberty)
  Lord Toby Harris (Member, Metropolitan Police Authority & Executive Member, Association of Police Authorities)
• 15:30-16:30
  Scaremongers and sensationalists? Do the media inform or alarm?
  Martin Brunt (Crime Correspondent, Sky News)
  Jeff Edwards (Crime Reporter, Daily Mirror & Chair, Crime Reporters Association)

5. Attendance at this conference is by invitation only for delegates.

Over 100 Londoners, representative of the capital's diverse communities, have been invited to participate.

6. 10 questions on the MPA website

We want to enable as many people as possible to contribute to the debate by responding to 10 questions on the MPA website (Closing date 19 Dec 05).

Answers and any additional comments may be used on the day of the conference to inform the debate. The results of voting will be incorporated into an MPA report, with recommendations, to be discussed in public at the MPA full Authority Meeting on 26 January 2006.

7. MPA public discussions on issues around terrorism and community response since 7 July

The MPA hosted the ‘Communities Together’ conference on 11 July 2005 and promised ‘to keep policing issues in the public eye’. The debate was progressed at the Full Authority on 27 October when Operation Kratos was discussed in public. The conference aims to bring together work that has been undertaken since the London bombings and give new direction and impetus to the fight against terrorism.

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback