Ministers must stop playing politics with terrorism - Clegg

3.43.41pm GMT Mon 13th Nov 2006

Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Nick Clegg MP

Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Nick Clegg MP has criticised ministers for playing politics with terrorism, following the publication of a Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust study and press reports that John Reid and Gordon Brown are competing to take the lead in the war on terror.

Responding to the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust report he said "This report rightly highlights that Tony Blair and John Reid's tendency to play politics with terrorism is self-defeating. If the effect of their endless headline-grabbing rhetoric is to push young men in our Muslim communities further towards extremism then serious questions must be asked.

"Rather than scoring political points they should be reaching out to create a cross-party approach striking the right balance between effective security measures and the need to win the long-term battle for hearts and minds."

Commenting on John Reid and Gordon Brown he added "It is bad enough that Jon Reid is seeking to extract party political advantage out of the debate on terrorism, it is utterly reprehensible that he now appears to be using the Government's anti-terror policy as a platform for his own internal ambitions in the Labour party.

"The British people want politicians to stick together, not fall apart when the nation is facing such a grave terrorist threat."