Theresa is right: There should be no hard border when it comes to security

I WAS Home Secretary last year when the UK fell victim to a spate of terrorist attacks after similar incidents in Belgium, France, and Germany. It felt relentless. It was a dangerous period, not only because of the attacks that got through but also because of the ones that were stopped – 16 since March last year alone.

The trial against Khalid Ali – arrested in April last year for carrying knives in Whitehall – has recently concluded. I was in the Commons when that arrest happened. Parliament was briefly on lockdown that afternoon. It is now well known that Ali was a trained maker of IEDs.

Each time an incident took place, other home secretaries from European countries offered condolences. I would do the same when an incident took place in their country. It mattered because we were all targets for the radical Islamist propaganda that was leading to this violence. We all are still. With European counterparts, I would share experiences about deradicalisation and how to limit access to weapons and stop convicted terrorists radicalising others in prison.

But the most important part of protecting our citizens was about sharing data. The UK played a leading role in originating data programmes that allow countries to know more about who is coming into and moving within the EU. We should have no borders in data and intelligence sharing in protecting citizens.

It would be madness if intransigence in Brussels led to this shared law enforcement being diluted as the UK leaves the EU, leading potentially to fatal events. Other EU home secretaries agree. I know a little about resignations – that would be the least of their problems.

The UK is not threatening the EU Commission. Our offer to them on security co-operation is unconditional. Strong security is not a competition, it is a partnership.

The Prime Minister is right. We must have a security treaty that builds on the UK’s role in keeping all European citizens safe. We were ready and patient to make progress last year. Let’s get on with it. Lives must not be risked.