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UK risks being 'cut off' from EU intelligence sharing, says Nick Clegg

The UK is at risk of being "cut off" from a vital EU intelligence-sharing platform, according to former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg.

In a radio interview, the Liberal Democrats' Brexit spokesperson described the Schengen Information System (SIS II) as "by far the largest and most sophisticated (database) of its kind".

He warned that despite law enforcement and security officials in the UK accessing the database "16 times a second", the Conservative Party was risking the nation's access to it.

The database is governed by the European Commission and used across Europe to track individuals and items for the purposes of national security, border control and law enforcement.

While four of the 26 nations which use SIS II are not EU member states, they are allowed access as long as they abide by the rulings of the European Court of Justice.

Theresa May has indicated that the UK would not accept any rulings at all from the Luxembourg-based court following Brexit.

"Fifty-three people are detained and questioned under anti-terrorism laws at ports and airports every day by use of this database," said Mr Clegg.

"What it includes is, from all of the countries in Europe, a list of all of those people who are a subject of concern or suspicion from police authorities from across the whole of the continent."

A spokesperson for the Conservative Party said: "We've made clear that under Theresa May, security cooperation will be an important priority in the negotiations, and it's not in the EU's interest to lessen that relationship."

The spokesperson accused the Liberal Democrats of "peddling nonsense" regarding the UK's access to SIS II.

But Mr Clegg said there was a "huge difference" between "saying we want a deal and making a deal feasible and possible".

He said: "This is where I think the Conservatives need to stop, dare I say it, patronising people by constantly saying 'We'll sort it out. Don't worry your pretty little heads'.

"Unless they have concrete answers on how you square the circle of wanting to have access to data which can only be legally both uploaded and accessed if all the participating countries abide by rulings from the European Court of Justice, however much people keep saying they want this to happen, it won't happen in reality."