Labour leader calls for an end to close alliance with Gulf states behind radicalisation
CAMPAIGNING is back underway for the 2017 General Election after a weekend which saw an apparent terrorist attack in London.
Seven people were killed and 48 injured in the attack on Saturday (3 June) night, using a white van and knives at London Bridge and Borough Market. Three suspects were shot by police at the scene of the attack. This is the third attack in three months, with previous attacks killing 6 at Westminster Bridge in March, and 23 at a concert in Manchester Arena.
Police investigating the attack say they know the identity of the three men.
In a speech (Sunday 4 June) marking the resumption of campaigning yesterday, Corbyn said: “We do need to have some difficult conversations, starting with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States, who have funded and fuelled extremist ideology. It’s no good Theresa May suppressing a report into the foreign funding of extremist groups. We have to get serious about cutting off funding to these terror networks, including ISIS [another name for Daesh] here and in the Middle East.”
“We do need to have some difficult conversations, starting with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States, who have funded and fuelled extremist ideology.” Jeremy Corbyn
May used a speech at Downing Street to say that there had been “too much tolerance of extremism” in the UK in the recent past. May was home secretary for six years between 2010 and 2016, before taking over as Prime Minister.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that security measures would have to be reviewed but that no community should be scapegoated for the action of a minority.
The terror threat level remains at ‘severe’, as security services are concerned about the possibility of copy-cat attacks.
The General Election will be held on Thursday 8 June.
Last night Ariana Grande, whose concert was attacked at the Manchester Arena, hosted an open air benefit gig for those affected.
Yesterday also saw the body of Elidih MacLeod, a 14 year-old Scot who lost her life in the Manchester Arena attack, returned to Barra.
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