Former Home Secretary Javid pours fuel on Russia report fire
Former Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, has waded into the Russia report controversy by arguing for tougher espionage laws.
Writing in the Daily Mail (July 25), Javid argues that threats to national security emanating from “hostile states” must be treated as seriously as domestic terrorism.
Whilst the initial thrust of his article is focused on Russia, Javid expands his vitriol to include China as well.
“I believe we need to take it [espionage] as seriously as terrorism … That means more resources, more powers, and more international cooperation”, Javid writes.
Despite his emphasis on espionage threats, Javid, who was Home Secretary from April 2018 to July 2019, ends up conflating the issue with terrorism by taking a swipe at Shamima Begum.
Begum, who was only 15-years-old when she traveled to join the conflict in Syria, was stripped of her British citizenship by Javid (on the advice of the Security Service MI5) in February 2019.
Javid sharply criticizes the decision earlier this month by the Court of Appeal to call for Begum’s return to the UK so that she can fight the citizenship deprivation decision.
“Too often, it feels as if our laws work against a common sense of justice and security”, Javid writes referring to the Court of Appeal’s decision.
But Javid neglected to explain that the Court of Appeal had made its decision on the grounds that Begum had been denied a fair hearing.
More broadly, Javid argues for a new “Espionage Bill” in conjunction with the updating of the Official Secrets Act to treat “economic espionage” as seriously as “state secrets”.
Furthermore, Javid calls for greater international cooperation with Britain’s traditional allies in the security and intelligence spheres.
Javid, who also briefly served as Chancellor between July 2019 and February 2020, calls for a “strategy of solidarity” with the UK’s “Five Eyes” intelligence partners, notably Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US.
“A fist is stronger than five fingers … If we unite together, domestically and internationally, I wouldn’t bet against us”, Javid boasted.
During his tenure as Home Secretary, Javid significantly stepped up citizenship deprivation measures, an arbitrary power that is proving to be deeply controversial with the more traditional components of the British judiciary.
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