When Corbyn was praised by Conservative minister for taking terrorism seriously

Jeremy Corbyn was attacked last night in the Sky/Channel 4 debate by an Irish audience member called Callum for ”openly supporting the IRA in the past. The question came after a week of articles and features in the conservative press, especially the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph, with acres of  newsprint on Jeremy Corbyn’s many past meetings, or joint platforms in public events, with individuals or groups dubbed as ‘terrorists’, including Sinn Fein and  various Palestinian organizations, including Hamas, which currently runs the Gaza strip in Palestine.

Corbyn has a long nearly forty year record in Parliament of scrutinising  anti-terrorism legislation –  by both Labour and Conservative Governments. Here is what Corbyn said in one such debate  in 1990, on so-called ‘Prevention of Terrorism’ legislation

_{Mr. Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North)}

_{I oppose the order. I draw to the attention of the House the fact that the first person in this country to be arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act was Paul Hill, a constituent of mine, who was arrested after the Guildford arid Woolwich pub bombings. It later transpired not only that he was not in Guildford or Woolwich and, therefore, did not plant any of the bombs—he was not guilty and could not have been—but that the other three who were imprisoned as a result of confessions that were extracted from them under the Prevention of Terrorism Act could not have been guilty. They served 15 years in prison and an enormous campaign was mounted for their release. They were released because of that campaign, the widespread national and international support that they received arid the admission that was finally made by the Director of Public Prosecutions that he had no further evidence to offer against them. Lord Lane acquitted them and the Home Secretary appeared at the Dispatch Box to make a statement on the acquittal.}

_​And here is what the minister replied:

_{11.26 pm}

_{§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. John Patten)}

_{I am glad to follow the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn), who is the only Labour Back-Bench Member to get up and debate the issue, which I think is one of great importance. As I have told him before, I am aware of how seriously he takes these issues and I respect the way in which he deals with them—even though, as he knows, there is quite a gulf between our attitudes.}

_{(HC Deb 06 March 1990 vol 168 cc819-45 819 10.15 pm}

_{http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1990/mar/06/prevention-of-terrorism)}

 

In the same  Sky/Channel Four ‘debate’, Mrs May insisted the Conservatives had increased the support for the police and the anti-terror apparatus of government. But a memorandum sub mitted to the Home Affairs Select Committee  just  a month ago, states the exact opposite, as is detailed below:

_​

Resource DEL by Estimate section					£m
Estimate Section	2017-18 Main Estimate			2016-17 Supplementary Estimate		Change			Change (%)
Crime Policing & Fire Group	8,514.7			8,366.0		148.7			1.8%
Office for Security and Counter Terrorism	824.5			856.3		-31.8			-3.7%
Immigration Enforcement	410.7			422.3		-11.6			-2.8%
UK Visas & Immigration	-497.6			-517.9		20.3			-3.9%
International & Immigration Policy	57.4			142.8		-85.4			-59.8%
Border Force	552.3			500.2		52.1			10.4%
HM Passport Office	-146.2			-149.8		3.6			-2.4%
Enablers	696.0			831.7		-135.7			-16.3%
Arms Length Bodies (Net)	94.4			121.3		-26.9			-22.2%
European Solidarity Mechanism (Net)	0.0			0.0		0.0			0.0%
DUP		4.1			0.0			4.1
Resource DEL	10,510.4			10,573.1		-62.7			-0.6%
Resource DEL (Programme) by Estimate section					£m
Estimate Section	2017-18 Main Estimate			2016-17 Supplementary Estimate		Change			Change (%)
Crime Policing & Fire Group	8,456.2			8,325.9		130.3			1.56%
Office for Security and Counter Terrorism	779.1			809.7		-30.6			-3.78%
Immigration Enforcement	403.7			416.1		-12.4			-2.98%
UK Visas & Immigration	-511.1			-535.5		24.4			-4.56%
International & Immigration Policy	34.4			120.6		-86.2			-71.48%
Border Force	549.4			498.5		50.9			10.21%
HM Passport Office	-145.8			-135.4		-10.4			7.68%
Enablers	502.6			619.7		-117.1			-18.9%
Arms Length Bodies (Net)	94.4			100.8		-6.4			-6.35%
European Solidarity Mechanism (Net)	0.0			0.0		0.0			0.00%
DUP		0.0			0.0			0.0
Resource DEL Programme	10,163.0			10,220.6		-57.6			-0.56%
Capital DEL by Estimate section					£m
Estimate Section	2017-18 Main Estimate			2016-17 Supplementary Estimate		Change			Change (%)
Crime Policing & Fire Group	151.6			82.3		69.3			84.1%
Office for Security and Counter Terrorism	122.0			105.5		16.5			15.7%
Immigration Enforcement	18.4			3.1		15.3			491.9%
UK Visas & Immigration		76.3			0.0			76.3
International & Immigration Policy	0.7			0.7		0.0			0.0%
Border Force	71.4			70.8		0.6			0.8%
HM Passport Office	14.5			14.3		0.2			1.4%
Enablers	50.6			183.0		-132.4			-72.4%
Arms Length Bodies (Net)	10.5			22.2		-11.7			-52.7%
DUP		0.0			0.0			0.0
Capital DEL	515.9			481.9		34.0			7.1%
AME by Estimate section					£m
Estimate Section	2017-18 Main Estimate			2016-17 Supplementary Estimate		Change			Change (%)
AME Charges	4.9			82.9		-78.0			-94.1%
o/w
Crime Policing & Fire Group	4.9			82.9		-78.0			-94.1%
Police and Fire Superannuation	2,493.0			2,351.9		141.0			6.0%
AME Charges Arms Length Bodies (Net)	0.0			38.0		-38.0			-100%
Resource AME	2,497.8			2,472.8		25.0			1.0%
Police and Fire Superannuation	0.0			3.1		-3.1			-100%
Capital AME			0.0				3.1

_{Estimates Memoranda}

_{·          Home Office Main Estimates 2017-18 - Memorandum ( PDF 519.2 KB)Published 25 April 2017}

_{HOME OFFICE MAIN ESTIMATE 2017-18: EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM}

_Introduction

_{The primary purpose of this Memorandum is to provide the Committee with an overview of the changes between the final position for 2016-17, as shown below and the opening position for 2017-18, as shown in the Main Estimate.}

_{The Main Estimate reflects the priorities agreed between the Home Office and Treasury in the 2015 Spending Review settlement and subsequent fiscal events.}

(http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/home-affairs/Home-Office-Main-Estimates-17-18.pdf)