Terror adviser warns of 'national security emergency' as threat in UK raised to 'severe'

The governments adviser on terrorism has warned that the UK is facing a 'national security emergency' after the terror threat level was raised to 'severe' for the first time since 2021.

It follows an attack in Golders Green where two Jewish men were stabbed and 45-year-old Essa Suleiman, a British national born in Somalia, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder.

The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) yesterday (30 April) announced they were raising the terror level in the UK to 'severe', meaning authorities believe an attack is highly likely within the next six months.

The government have said that raising the threat level 'is not solely a result' of the Golders Green attack, saying: "The terrorist threat level in the UK has been rising for some time, driven by an increase in the broader Islamist and Extreme Right Wing terrorist threat from individuals and small groups based in the UK."

Jonathan Hall KC, government adviser, told Channel 4 he thought the situation in the UK was a 'national security emergency' which he compared to 2017 and 2005.

The terror threat level in the UK has been raised following an attack in Golders Green, though the government said it was 'not solely a result' of that (Stefan Rousseau - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

2017 was when a terrorist attacked the Manchester Arena and targeted crowds leaving an Ariana Grande concert, and in 2005 there were the 7/7 bombings in London that targeted rush hour public transport.

Hall said: "I think stepping back this reminds me of one of those times and I mean, unfortunately many of us have lived through a few of them, where it's a a national security emergency.

"The most recent one I think was 2017, and then before that you had 2005, you had the terrible attacks it on on the transport system and I think what I remember then is that the government was prepared to say, did say, 'the rules of the game have changed'.

"And they really went for the underlying causes.

"I think that existing laws of course can be used and the police cannot be criticized for the protection that they are trying to give to Jewish community.

Government adviser Jonathan Hall said he thought the UK was in a 'national security emergency' (JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

"But just as they went after the hateful ideologies in 2005 and they changed the law and they were prepared to be quite assertive and aggressive I do think the government needs to do something along those lines now."

Hall said he thought the government 'should use the laws they've got to get rid of anti-Semites', and 'they should look to remove people, deport people'.

However, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the BBC she didn't agree the current attacks amounted to a national security emergency, but did see them as an emergency for her job.

Mahmood said the government was treating attacks on Jewish people in the UK as an 'absolute priority', but thought using the phrase 'national emergency' had certain connotations including the suspension of democracy.

"I don't believe this is where we are today," she said.

The government has pointed towards it spending extra £25m for increased police patrols and security in Jewish communities.