Counter-Terrorism in the UK

Abstract

This chapter on UK counter-terrorism measures begins the book's empirical analysis of post-9/11 counter-terrorism measures. It examines the historical development of counter-terrorism law and policy in the UK before engaging in a more detailed analysis of post-9/11 legislation and the types of contagion to which it has given rise. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the long experience of the UK with terrorism, and its history of normalisation of counter-terrorism powers, similar patterns can be observed in the post-9/11 period. Certainly in the years immediately following the attacks the government took the opportunity to expand various state powers for general crime control purposes and misused special police powers, to little effect. While this tendency appeared to wane as the 9/11 and 7/7 attacks lost their grip on the political imagination, dangerous precedents had already been set.