Andy Burnham issues huge update on RAF Fairford ‘terror probe’ | Politics | News
Andy Burnham has admitted Iran “played a part” in the RAF Fairford “terror plot” as he defended security chiefs from Donald Trump.
The Prime Minister insisted counter-terrorism detectives and MI5 have the “strongest grip and closest control” of the five British men released on bail.
Mr Trump blasted the UK’s handling of the case on Tuesday night, asking: “How do you give bail to a terrorist?”
The US President said the suspects, who were arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning near RAF Fairford, are “seriously bad people”.
Officers confirmed they found petrol in the vans, but not any viable bombs.
Mr Burnham told the BBC: “There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford, but of course it remains an ongoing, complex, and serious police investigation.
“And of course, we are working closely with our colleagues in the United States of America.
“So, it’s ongoing. I have held a COBR meeting as I’ve been here at the conference in Liverpool. We are on top of it in every possible way imaginable.
“Police in Gloucestershire, our counter-terrorism police, have done an outstanding job. I thank them for that. We will say more in due course, but we can confirm our belief that we believe Iran to have played a part.”
The suspected terror plot is said to have unravelled when one of the suspects dialled 999 themselves.
Investigators are considering whether the activity was surveillance, a dry run to test security or a stunt designed to send a message to the UK Government.
They are also mooting whether Iran ordered a group to carry out a conspiracy on their behalf.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the intelligence was “extremely concerning” and urged Mr Burnham and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband to show “a bit more seriousness” over national security.
She said: “I have been very vocal about how I believe that we need to focus more on national security. I remember asking the Prime Minister about that, and he said ‘not at the expense of social security’, but these are all incursions into our country and our safety.
“I’m particularly concerned because just a few days ago, our Foreign Secretary was shaking hands with the Iranian foreign minister.
“Meanwhile, Iran is planning things, and I don’t know how, but meanwhile, Iran is planning attacks on our country. That is very worrying.
“And what I would like to see is a bit more seriousness from the prime minister and his… Foreign Secretary, instead of them trying to please their base.
“The speech that Andy Burnham gave yesterday did not talk about defence, and there was quite a long bit where they were more focused on Israel, when really what we can see is that Iran is the country that is a threat to the UK.”
But the decision to release the five British suspects – aged between 23 and 25 – on bail has sparked fury in America.
Fairford has been used in recent months by US bombers to launch air strikes against Iran.
Mr Trump said: “I’m just disappointed that they caught terrorists – they did a good job, and then they sort of let them go.
“How do you give bail to a terrorist?”
Asked if it was a longstanding investigation, Mr Trump replied: “A longstanding. Yeah, we were involved in it.
“They put them out on bail. I assume they have, they have them watched closely. But these were serious people, seriously bad people, and they should not have done that.”
But Mr Burnham defended Scotland Yard’s approach, insisting: “I think people need to understand that you know when it says released, that isn’t as people might think. It’s obviously with the strictest possible bail conditions.
“The authorities have this under, as I say, the strongest grip and the closest control, and I can assure you of that.”
Asked if he could guarantee the security services were in control of the situation: “Yes, indeed. And as I say, we’ve been talking to counterparts in the United States all week to explain what is happening here, how things are being done, I have complete confidence in the way British security services are handling this.”
A farmer driving home in the early hours of Sunday morning saw three vans, surrounded by men in balaclavas, and alerted police at 1.36am.
But the authorities were already on the scene by then because the suspect had called nearly one hour earlier.
