Blair: Rules of the game have changed
Britain will no longer tolerate people coming from overseas to threaten its way of life, Tony Blair said today.
The prime minister said the UK was proud of being a tolerant and good natured country but insisted “the rules of the game are changing”, and it would no longer accept anyone who took advantage of that to threaten its security.
“If people want to come here, they come here and play by our rules and our way of life. If they don’t then they will have to go, because they’re threatening our people and that’s not right either,” he said.
Speaking at a press conference this morning, Mr Blair outlined how the Home Office would strengthen its powers to deport those fostering hatred, advocating violence to further their beliefs or justifying or validating such violence.
The Foreign Office was drawing up a list of websites, bookshops, networks and organisations of people considered to be inciting hatred. Mr Blair said “active engagement with any of these will be a trigger” for deportation.
Current efforts to deport people from Britain have encountered problems under the European Human Rights Act, which stipulates people cannot be sent back to their home countries if there is any fear they will be tortured.
But Mr Blair said he was in talks with about ten countries to establish memoranda of understanding gaining assurance that any deportees would not be treated badly. One has already been signed with Jordan, while he this week had talks with Algeria and Lebanon.
As these did not require any legislative changes, they would come into effect immediately, although Mr Blair said there would be a short consultation on this issue.
The prime minister also detailed new legislation against condoning or glorifying terrorism, for which he hoped parliament could be recalled early to debate in September.
Subject to consultation, this would automatically deny the right of asylum to anyone who participated in terrorism and set up an international database of those who have incited or glorified terrorism anywhere in the world.
On integration within Britain, a commission would be set up to see how to advise on how people can be allowed to follow their own religion and culture while also being better integrated. It would also look at reaching those who are currently “inadequately integrated”.
In addition, the government would consult on new powers to order the closure of places of worship used as centres for fomenting extremism, and a list of imams not suitable to preach would be drawn up.
Questioned why such anti-terror measures, especially those that did not require new legislation, had not been introduced before, Mr Blair said the government had had some success in this before but had generally met with “fierce opposition”.
Now, however, he believed there existed in Britain an anger and a desire for action to be taken against extremists, particularly from within the Muslim community.
While he said opposition parties had been very supportive on the issues, he accepted the proposed new laws would face a bumpy ride in the public and in parliament.
“This is the beginning of what will be a lot of battles in the months ahead. And I am prepared for those battles in the months ahead but I am also absolutely and completely determined to see this happen,” he said.
