Blairs 12-point plan to tackle terrorism threat under attack from all sides

9.55.18am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 9th Aug 2005

Tony Blair's 12-point plan for tackling the threat posed by Islamist terrorism has been attacked from all sides, by the Liberal Democrats, some Conservatives and a number of Labour backbenchers. Liberal Democrat such as Simon Hughes MP and Lord Carlile have expressed concern, especially when the option of using the 14th century treason laws arises.

John Denham, a former Home Office minister (who resigned over Iraq) and now chairs the home affairs select committee, has expressed dismay that the government has abandoned the cross-party approach it pursued after the London bombings. He told the BBC "The government responded to the bombings initially with a very measured approach, a very serious approach, good coordination across government." But added "The last few days really give this sense that the government have got into a real state of nerves about the whole thing; it is displaying a lack of confidence in its own strategy and I think they've got to get a grip on it very, very quickly, stop floating half-baked ideas and get back to proper cross-party consensus on the serious measures that need to be taken."

Leftwing Labour MPs such as Bob Marshall-Andrews QC has said, of the plan, it is "classic Blair, an attempt to raise the temperature by saying we need more laws. It's highly populist and most of it is unnecessary."