UK faces terror threat from 'young men in bedrooms'

Keir Starmer ready to revamp laws to guard against loners driven to extreme violence by all manner of material online’

- ARCHIE MITCHELL

The prime minister laid the groundwork for an overhaul of terrorism laws to guard against the new threat of “loners and misfits” driven to acts of extreme violence by “all manner of material online”. Responding to Axel Rudakubana pleading guilty to the murder of three children in a mass stabbing at a Taylor-Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Sir Keir said “terrorism has changed”.

At a press conference in Downing Street, the PM said he understood why the killings would make people question “what the word terrorism means”. He said: “The blunt truth here is that this case is a sign. Britain now faces a new threat. Terrorism has changed. In the past, the predominant threat was highly organised groups with clear political intent. Groups like alQaeda.

“That threat of course remains. But now, alongside that we also see acts of extreme violence perpetrated by loners, misfits, young men in their bedroom, accessing all manner of material online, desperate for notoriety.”

And, hinting at an overhaul in the way terrorism is approached in the UK, Sir Keir said: “When I look at the details of this case. The extreme nature of the violence. The meticulous plan to attack young children in a place of joy and safety. Violence clearly intended to terrorise. Then I understand why people wonder what the word ‘terrorism’ means. And so, if the law needs to change to recognise this new and dangerous threat, then we will change it – and quickly.”