The Government’s decision to detain terrorism suspects for up to 42 days without trial could become the defining issue of the decade, a former Guantanamo Bay inmate has claimed.
Moazzam Begg, from Birmingham, spent nearly three years in Camp X-Ray without charge or trial. He said New Labour’s attitude towards suspected terrorists had worsened community relations.
Speaking at a Birmingham conference at Aston University examining the legacy of Tony Blair’s 10-year stint as Prime Minister, Mr Begg said; “42 days will be the defining point of this year – if not the whole decade.
“I remember when Tony Blair came into power. There was a notion that things were going to get better. How wrong that was. The reality was that Britain under Tony Blair had entered a phase the likes of which the world had never seen before.
“After 7/7 Tony Blair said the rules of the game have changed. For him it may be a game but for those on the receiving end it certainly isn’t.”
Mr Begg said he had been disappointed to see New Labour had been returned to power time and time again, saying it showed people in Middle England weren’t really interested in voting on foreign policy.
And he described Tony Blair’s new role as an ambassador for peace to the Middle East as a “smack in the mouth” for anyone seriously interested in the peace process.
“There’s one thing I think that people need to remember – people want to know about foreign policy but they are not ready to vote on them,” he said.
Mr Begg’s views were backed up by former Labour Minster Clare Short. But the Ladywood MP pointed out that a large percentage of the electorate had not even voted on the issues in the last election.
This, she said, highlighted the need for electoral reform.
