IS claims London terror attack as it becomes part of poll circus

ON SUNDAY, THE SECOND VICTIM WAS IDENTIFIED AS SASKIA JONES. THE FIRST VICTIM WAS NAMED JACK MERRITT.

LONDON : The London Bridge attack figured in the cut and thrust of election politics on Sunday as the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the incident that claimed two lives, both associated with the University of Cambridge, whose event was attended by terrorist Usman Khan on Friday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson went on Sunday television to claim that the Conservative government had tightened rules to ensure convicted terrorists such as Khan were not released early.

Home secretary Priti Patel claimed he was released under law passed by the Labour government in 2008.

IS owned up to the attack through its news agency Amaq, but did not provide any evidence of its claim. It said Khan was “responding to calls to target the nationals of Coalition countries”, a phrase previously used by its former spokesperson Abu Muhammad al-adnani.

Johnson said like Khan, 74 individuals jailed for terror offences had been released in recent years. They were being monitored more closely in the wake of the Friday’s attack.

He said it is ‘repulsive’ that someone as dangerous as Khan was freed after only eight years.

He blamed Khan’s release on legislation introduced under “a leftie government”, insisting the automatic release scheme was introduced by Labour.

“I’m a new prime minister. We take a different approach. I opposed (automatic release) both in 2003 and 2008, and now that I am prime minister I’m going to take steps to make sure that people are not released early when they commit... serious sexual, violent or terrorist offences,” Johnson said.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called for an inquiry into “everything surrounding” Khan, including his sentence and what happened to him in prison, warning against “knee-jerk legislation”, saying the country could “pay a price later”.

He told a rally in York: “No government can prevent every attack... But the government can act to make such acts of terror less, rather than more likely.”