Warning over 'knee-jerk' measures

Nick Clegg has warned against "knee-jerk" reactions to the murder of soldier Lee Rigby as he restated his opposition to the so-called "snooper's charter".

The Deputy Prime Minister said measures in the Communications Data Bill were "disproportionate" and "unworkable", despite claims from Cabinet colleagues that the legislation was necessary to ensure public safety.

He also warned that any measures to ban radicals such as Anjem Choudary from TV screens would make them heroes to extremist groups.

Mr Clegg's comments came as Michael Adebowale, 22, from Greenwich, south east London, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with the murder of Drummer Rigby.

The 25-year-old soldier died from multiple stab wounds after he was attacked near Woolwich Barracks last Wednesday.

The brutal murder prompted calls from Home Secretary Theresa May and Defence Secretary Philip Hammond for Communications Data Bill legislation to be resurrected.

The controversial legislation would require internet companies to retain records of emails and social media messages for a year and allow police and security agencies to access the data, but not the content of messages.

But speaking on his regular phone-in show on LBC 97.3, Mr Clegg said: "We have got to react in a calm way but also a forensic way in deciding exactly what we can do to stop that kind of radicalisation, extremism taking root in individuals and communities."

He insisted he was not seeking to limit powers available to the police and security services. "I have never suggested that the very considerable powers that our security services and the police have - far in excess, by the way, of many other forces in other parts of the world - should in any way be rolled back."

Mr Clegg said mainstream Muslim groups were "furious" that Anjem Choudary, former leader of banned Islamic group Al Muhajiroun, was given airtime in the wake of the murder. But he said the signal had to go out to young Muslim men "who might be susceptible to some of these vile, perverted ideologies" that such views were "not an acceptable or recognised understanding of their faith of Islam, it's a total perversion and corruption of it".