Counter-terrorism was ignored in the UK general election – it must not be forgotten in 2020

In spite of the horrific incident in London on 29 November, counter-terrorism did not feature prominently in the campaign for the UK’s 2019 general election. Indeed, neither of the two main parties had much to say about it. Had it won, Labour may have weakened it in pursuit of a flawed analysis of the problem. The Conservatives may yet damage it by seeking to strengthen it in inappropriate ways. It is difficult to see what credible alternative there is apart from stiffening public resilience, attempting to deradicalise potential recruits before it’s too late, and criminalising, punishing and seeking to rehabilitate offenders. In addition to the challenges posed by Brexit, greater transparency about how the various components (especially on the preventive front) work and their effectiveness, are also urgently required.