We saw how the public are willing to help
Jacqui Smith had been home secretary for less than 24 hours when she was told of the failed car bomb attack on the Tiger Tiger nightclub in central London.
She said: “Gordon Brown took over on the Wednesday, and appointed his cabinet on the Thursday.
“Very early the next morning I got a phone call from my private secretary who said there had been an incident in Haymarket.
“My first reaction was ‘Is this what it’s like every morning as home secretary?’”
A car filled with gas tanks had been left outside the club with a second car positioned so it would be in the path of those fleeing the scene.
Both had failed to explode but a terrorist cell were on the run.
Smith said: “The prevalent feeling at the time was ‘What is going on? Is this the beginning of something far larger?’”
The next move was to attend a meeting of Cobra, the national emergency committee, and she also had her first meeting with Met Commissioner Ian Blair.
Smith said: “They were very keen to show me they had strong intelligence. It was my first glimpse of what the security agencies are able to do about tracking and cross-referencing suspects.”
But it was not, Smith noted, like a spy thriller.
She said: “If you watch Spooks or some films, you have the idea that instantaneously the police and security agencies have CCTV they can link into.
“There is an enormous surveillance and interception capacity but you need a way into it. Until you get the mobile phone signal or vehicle number plate recognition, there is no way.”
The Jeep flashed up on a camera seconds before it smashed into Glasgow airport, putting the terrorists back on the grid.
Smith said of the attack: “The whole thing appeared to work in terms of shock and awe in one way because it was an airport and it was on fire.
“But there were no innocent casualties and people weighed in and it wasn’t the horrific situation that it might have been.”
It was a comprehensive introduction on handling counter-terrorism.
Smith said: “Seeing how police and security agencies worked extremely well together was impressive and you saw the willingness of the public to help you in the battle against terror.
“There were people in Glasgow airport stuck on planes for hours, their holidays disrupted.
“But what you saw was people in generally good spirits, getting on with their lives in a way which is the best possible counter to a terror attack.”
People weighed in and it wasn’t horrific situation it might have been