Minister denies using ‘Trump playbook’ in terror attack response
Justice secretary Robert Buckland rejects claim government is seeking to exploit situation for political gain
The justice secretary has insisted that the government is not trying to exploit the deaths of two young people in a terrorist attack for election purposes after the father of one of the victims criticised the “ignorance” of the political response.
Robert Buckland denied that cuts to prison officer numbers and probation services might have played a role in increasing the risk from terrorism, and said “public protection” had to be at the centre of any response to the deaths on Friday of Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones.