The Tories are so obsessed with cost-cutting that they're undermining their own anti-terror policies

Terrorism is not an exclusively modern phenomenon, yet recently it has felt as though it is growing in intensity. Homemade bombs, vehicles and knives are fashioned for use, with the internet providing greater opportunities for sharing information. In March, there was the attack on Westminster, followed by the suicide bombing at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester in May. In June, we saw the atrocities on London Bridge and Borough Market, then at Finsbury Park; in recent days we have seen the attempt to detonate an explosive on a tube train at Parsons Green.

Terrorists not only seek to kill innocent people – they seek to divide our communities against each other. I am proud that our society has remained strong and stoical in the face of such terrible acts in recent months. I am also very proud of our emergency service workers: our police officers, including the heroic PC Keith Palmer who gave his life to protect those who work in Parliament, firefighters, NHS workers and transport police.

However, despite this community spirit and our appreciation for our public service workers, not enough is being done. The Government is quick to thank our workers, but they’re not so keen on providing the funding they need to actually prevent terror and do their jobs. As the nation relies on its public service workers now more than ever, ministers must ensure that they are paid what they deserve.

This does not mean giving some a pay rise and not others – this means looking at the pay of all public sector workers across the board. Ministers must accept that national security cannot be bought on the cheap.

With their ideological obsession for reducing budgets, the Tories are undermining their own security policies. With Theresa May in office as Home Secretary then Prime Minister, police numbers have fallen by 20,000. The current Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, is no better. Her decision to cut the budget of Office for Security and Counter Terrorism by £50m over the next two years is wrong and a Labour government would reverse it. We would also reverse the decision to reduce the allocation of the counter-terrorism budget to policing by 7.2 per cent over three years.

In her party conference speech, Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott was clear that “there is no greater responsibility for government than keeping the nation safe from the menace of terrorism.” Labour will put the protection of the public first. To achieve this, we need considered, effective policies and proper funding.

The four elements of the UK government’s counter-terrorism strategy must all be working well to succeed. This includes pursuing terrorists and disrupting them; upgrading our protection; being properly prepared for attacks and seeking to reduce the risk of people becoming involved in terror activity in the first place.

Yet the final strand of the counter-terror strategy, Prevent, is in desperate need of review. For any such programme to work, it must command the confidence of all parts of our society, and have the widest input and participation from local communities. Prevent is just not doing that at present. Last year a United Nations special rapporteur warned that the programme might stifle healthy discussion and debate. This was repeated three months later by Rights Watch UK. And earlier this month the UK's Independent Reviews of Terror legislation, Max Hill QC explained that Prevent is seen as a "spying charter" by some Muslim families. Increasing disengagement will only result in less information coming to light at an early stage, not more.

Nor should we see counter-terror measures in isolation. Recently, Sara Thornton, Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, revealed that three quarters of the resources used in responding to the Manchester attack came from mainstream policing. Recruiting more police officers should be an urgent priority for this government, give then current nature of terror threats and world events. However, they continue to cut the services, despite concerns being raised across the board. This is not sustainable.

Tory austerity has damaged our communities over the past seven years, and is restricting our capacity to keep people safe. It is time for a change in approach.

Nick Thomas-Symonds MP is the Shadow Security Minister and Shadow Solicitor General