Pleasant surprise arrived in the post yesterday morning! An invite from King Charles to a
@RoyalFamily
Party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate his coronation - what a massive honour.
I guess it’s time to find myself a top hat and morning suit from somewhere…
And, it was;
*On the Anniversary of her son’s death
*After she’d walked 200 miles from Manchester to London to ask that he keep the promise he made to enact the legislation when he became PM
I’ll let you all make your own judgements.
Just a few mins until the PM makes an announcement outside No.10.
If he does announce a general election, only hours after reassuring
@FigenMurray
that
#MartynsLaw
will be introduced to Parliament, it’ll tell you everything you need to know about how much you can trust his word
I don’t want to wade into election speculation but…the Prime Minister told
@FigenMurray
after PMQs today that the Martyn’s Law legislation would definitely be introduced this side of summer recess.
A very special day with family on Wednesday being made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the Anne, the Princess Royal, on behalf of HM The King, at Windsor Castle
@RoyalCentral
@RoyalFamily
A real pleasure to be invited to the launch of the
@NatEmergTrust
this morning & meet privately with
@KensingtonRoyal
again-we’ve been campaigning for a central fund to handle donations in the aftermath of national disasters for 1+1/2 yrs plus so it’s great to see this be formed.
Today The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the launch of the
@NatEmergTrust
, an independent charity which will provide an emergency response to disasters in the UK.
Feeling very humbled to be honoured with a
@CitizenAwards
medal by the Palace of Westminster this week, presented by
@MrNickKnowles
and Lord Dholakia of
@UKHouseofLords
. Grateful to those who nominated me!
"These videos found their way online and on social media"
Travis was in London at the time of the London Bridge terror attack, he's now backing a campaign by
@LondonFire
to encourage people to call 999 BEFORE filming 📲
Happy to share that I’m starting a new permanent appointment as Lecturer in Counterterrorism at
@UCLan
@UCLanCJP
. I’m looking forward to joining a very talented team, and contributing to their Policing, Law, and Criminology courses.
🚨 Some personal news 🚨
Really chuffed to share that I’ll be starting a new job
@SalfordUni
as a Lecturer from next week!
I’ve also moved my doctoral research from Edge Hill University to
@UCLan
, where I’ll be continuing part time alongside the new job 📚
Managed to keep it under wraps whilst it all sinks in, but I’m so excited to share that I’ll be returning to
@edgehill
in October to study a PhD researching Islamist extremism.
I’ll also be joining the History faculty as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.
Can’t wait to get started!
In London today to listen firsthand to the Home Secretary
@SuellaBraverman
as she launches the UK’s counterterrorism strategy, CONTEST 2023.
Pleasantly surprised the contributions of victims & survivors were recognised in her speech, albeit amongst a background of rising threat.
Proper chuffed to say I’ll be graduating with a 2:1 in BA History with Politics from
@edgehill
, and I’ve been accepted to study a Masters in Military History at
@LancasterUni
come September! 🎓
Every year arseholes flock up to the Moors with their disposable barbecues and every year without fail someone sets the whole place on fire. Now we’ve got emergency services dealing with 5km of fires in the middle of a pandemic.
Well done Darwen!
With help from
@CityWestminster
, I had an early morning installing floral tributes for the Anniversary of the Westminster Attack tomorrow. One white flower for every message submitted by someone affected, 100+ in total. You can view the rest by going to
Airing tonight: research by
@BBCNews
and
@KingsCollegeLon
finds almost 1/5 of U.K. citizens believe victims of terrorism aren’t telling the truth, that attacks are ‘hoaxes’, and the survivors are ‘crisis actors’.
A depressing, but important, read for anyone working in this area.
EXCL: Conspiracy theorists, who claim UK terror attacks are staged, are tracking down survivors to homes and workplaces to see if they’re lying about injuries. And abuse is getting worse post-pandemic. I’ve investigated for BBC Panorama & Radio 4 podcasts.
You made your bed, now lie in it. I’ve yet to hear a valid argument as to why those who’ve ran off to Syria to join a terrorist organisation should then be allowed to return to the U.K.; far too dangerous for her to come back & it’s completely naive to say otherwise.
Been quite the few years
@edgehill
, certainly never been a dull moment anyway! Had a rough start with the Westminster stuff in 1st year, but had such a good final year and met some cracking folks along the way-congrats to everyone graduating this week 🎉🎓
#EHUGrad
Thinking of all those affected by the London Bridge Attack on the year’s anniversary today. Well worth sharing this story again; the Government can and absolutely should do more to support people after terror attacks - absolutely appalling. - BBC News
Back in March ‘22,
@pritipatel
said to me “pop by anytime, and I’ll stick the kettle on”- I decided to take her up on the offer! We had a lovely chat about the talks I’ve been delivering to schools to raise awareness about extremism and the warning signs of radicalisation.
After the launch of
@ResilienceUnity
last week, I headed over to
@TerrorismPolice
HQ New Scotland Yard on Friday to film some materials for Police Prevent training. Happy to help, and always worth it for the view..!
Had a lovely chat with His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain today as part of events held in the Royal Palace to mark the European Day of Remembrance to Victims of Terrorism.
Very generous with his time!
@CathHill2
We talked about the need for the UK to adopt the date ASAP!
Very grateful to the
@WhiteHouse
for the opportunity for an informal chat with some of
@POTUS
’s Homeland Security team
@WHNSC
about terrorism and counterterrorism in D.C. today.
On Thursday evening last week, we held a dinner at Scotland Yard to bring survivors of terrorism from around the world to meet with and support one another. Thank you
@MattJukesMPS
&
@TerrorismPolice
for a lovely evening for all, and your tireless work to prevent future attacks.
This is a totally self-congratulatory post but, what a week it’s been! On Monday, I got the news I’d been elected Chair of the UK’s National Counter Terrorism Youth Advisory Group, run by
@TerrorismPolice
out of Scotland Yard.
It should not take a 62yr old mother, bereaved by terrorism, walking 170 miles from Manchester to London on the anniversary of her son’s death to force the Prime Minister to act on his most sacred responsibility - to protect British citizens.
Figen;we are with you the whole way.
I’ve been at a bit of a loss for words recently, hence why I haven’t posted earlier. Tuesday marked 5 years since the Westminster Bridge attack- a solemn day, but one which exceeded all our expectations. At the very least though I should say a round of ‘thank yous’ 👇
On Wednesday last week, we marked the sixth anniversary of the Westminster Bridge attack at the plaque in the centre of the bridge; after which
@pritipatel
very kindly invited victims to join her for tea & coffee in Portcullis House to discuss plans for a National Day of Tribute.
Another article published in
@MetroUK
this morning- a really important message that underlines a lot of the campaign work I’ve been doing over the past year and a half. Feel free to give it a read if you get the chance.
I spoke on
@BBCBreakfast
this morning alongside Baroness Newlove regarding the
@survivors_a_t
campaign to call on the Government to set up a fund to manage donations & be able to therefore better financially support victims of terror attacks in future.
Do watch this if you’ve got two mins today, really important video by
@TerrorismPolice
. Great work as always
@flamezmike
, well done on sharing your experience so well.
Mike was working at a pub near London Bridge at the time of the terrorist attack in 2017.
Five years on, watch his story and hear his message ⬇️
#WeStandTogether
Johnson sends his ‘thoughts’ to the victims of today’s attack on
#LondonBridge
.A shame then that his govt have decided to cut funding 100% to the charities that support victims of terrorism.These are attacks on state & they should have a responsibility to care for those affected.
I want to thank the emergency services and members of the public for their immense bravery in responding to this suspected terrorist attack at London Bridge.
This is an appalling incident and all my thoughts are with the victims and their families.
Very humbled to receive a scholarship from
@edgehill
for excellence in volunteering and services to charity last night. Special thanks to Chancellor
@ProfTanya
for presenting and Dame Janet Suzman for attending.
Last month I took part in some filming for
@Deeyah_Khan
@Fuuse
's new
@CORE_website
, an online repository of video resources on radicalisation and counter-extremism, a snippet of which has now been shared below - feel free to check it out, and navigate to their website for more.
.
@travisfrain
, survivor of the Westminster Bridge attack, describes the psychological impacts of surviving terrorist violence. 'You can control what you think about during the day...but at night, it's open season.'
We laid my father to rest today. Not really sure what else to add other than to share this poem by John Greenleaf Whittier, a favourite of his, that was read at the funeral - feels all the more pertinent right now.
Back at
@SalfordUni
yesterday with
@ResilienceUnity
, courtesy of an invite from
@educationgovuk
to discuss engagement with universities and colleges on counter-extremism. Lots of interesting discussions and connections.
Last week, me and my team received commendations from Assistant Commissioner
@MattJukesMPS
, Head of U.K. Counterterrorism, at New Scotland Yard for our work with the National Advisory Network.
Congrats to all the awardees- it was a lovely way to end 1.5yrs as National Chair!
Lovely couple of days in Northern Ireland speaking at
@QUBelfast
@QUBMitchell
’s Power, Struggle & Terror Conference. Well done to the organising team, andGreat keynote by
@TimWilsonCSTPV
also!
Graduation: Round Two 🎓
Master of Arts in International and Military History from
@LancasterUni
@CWDlancaster
- delayed ceremony due to Covid, but we got there eventually 🙌🏻
Congrats to everyone else graduating (digitally) from
@LancasterUni
today!
Looking forward to us all being able to celebrate properly in person once this has all blown over
#LancasterGrad2020
We cannot wait for
#LancasterGrad2020
where we'll be celebrating the achievements of our Postgraduate class of 2020 🥳
Join us for the premiere of the Celebration this Friday at 2pm, featuring special guests 👉
Two Years on from the Westminster Bridge Terror Attack and still no official Commemorations or Events.
Thinking of everyone else affected
#WestminsterAttack
Clearing out a few of the cupboards this morning and came across these old newspaper clippings about my Nan, ‘Battling Ann’, single-handedly taking on three thugs that were beating up a Pakistani bus conductor back in 1974. What a woman! Miss her loads.
Just got back from London where we met with
@MayorofLondon
@SadiqKhan
face to face today - thank you for agreeing to meet with us to discuss ensuring proper commemorations are in place for the next anniversary of the Westminster Bridge terror attack.
Thank you to Home Secretary
@JamesCleverly
for agreeing to meet with me on Mon to discuss support for victims of terrorism.
More clarity is needed ASAP for survivors to know that the Sunak Government are doing all that they can to improve support for them.
We’re approaching the end of what has been an incredible whirlwind of a week that was many months in the making.
Kicking things off- on Monday I was surprised to receive a very kind letter from Former PM
@BorisJohnson
praising the work I’ve been doing to counter radicalisation.
Starting the new year with some news; I’ve wrote an op-ed for the
@spectator
about the latest delay and leaks coming out of the Prevent Review, and why I think it is integral that
@ukhomeoffice
do not redact the names of those suspected of supporting Islamist extremism. 👇
Take a look at that final paragraph- literally one week to the day since we launched a report into media intrusion against survivors of terror attacks. Very disappointing, shameful, even if a tad unsurprising!
“How he managed to escape is an utter miracle”.
Wife of taxi driver David Perry issues a statement thanking the emergency services after her husband escaped yesterday’s explosion in his cab outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
We’re taking message submissions for a digital book of remembrance and tribute to mark the 4th Anniversary of the Westminster Bridge terror attack, on the 22nd March.
If any bereaved, injured, witnesses, or responders want to contribute, get in touch at: WestminsterCWG
@gmail
.com
Another day,another crackpot conspiracy theorist with nothing better to do
I’ve always been clear that I was on my feet & walking around after being hit by the car in the Westminster Attack, before the adrenaline ran out and the grave injuries I’d received became abudantly clear
Spoke on
@thismorning
today about the lack of commemorative events to mark the year’s anniversary of the Westminster Attack. Catch the full 12 minute interview here if you’re interested -
It is exactly a year ago since a terrorist ploughed into the pedestrians crossing Westminster Bridge, killing five people, and injuring more than fifty. But have we done enough to remember those who were impacted by this terrible tragedy?
Always think it’s pretty remarkable that people think pulling this sort of stunt actually does anything tangible to help the people of Palestine.
Performative activism at its finest. Donate to an aid charity, protest Parliament/MPs, anything is more impactful than this shite.
People claiming to be pro-Palestinian have taken to harassing people including families leaving McDonald’s.
They giggle from the buzz they get. The joy of antisemitism has reached the high street.
This is not advocacy. It is a violent, hateful ideology
3000 Words per week in assignments since the start of April, and 30 pages on this special study completed ✅ One exam tomorrow & a presentation next week and my time
@edgehill
university is finished!
Dissertation submitted today, which means my time
@LancasterUni
has now come to an end. It’s been a weird one, working on it from home during the lockdown but I’m glad to finally have it squared away - looking forward to hearing the result, and hopefully graduating in December!
Feeling renewed after a week spent speaking to around 750 kids in Leicester and Woodford about extremism and how to spot the warning signs of radicalisation.
Thanks for the invites
@EastMidsPrevent
@Future_LeadersP
Blown away by the amount of engagement from the young people!
They've used an embarassingly bad photo of me from about four years ago, but this is a brilliant write-up from ITV about the new project we launched today
@ResilienceUnity
Travis Frain, 23 and from Lancashire, has launched the Resilience in Unity Project in the hope that "even one person" can be persuaded to turn away from terrorism.
@MrBrendanCox
True, there’s a lesson to be learnt about the danger of social media usage during attacks though. I think his response however was pretty understandable given the circumstances.
On the anniversary of the
#ManchesterArena
attack yesterday, I spoke to the Political Affairs & Democracy Committee of
@coe
to argue the case for better support & protections for victims of terrorism, held in the Hellenic Parliament in Athens
#manchester
On Tuesday morning,
@ResilienceUnity
won a national crime prevention award on behalf of Lancashire from
@NatCrimebeat
and
@metpoliceuk
Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick. (With a massive thanks to High Sheriff Edwin Booth for the nomination
@HSLancs
)
At the
@EU_Commission
in Brussels today; thanks to
@RANEurope
for organising & to everyone else involved, including those victims giving their testimony for the first time.📸 U.K. Delegation with 🇬🇧 Deputy Permanent Rep. to the EU Katrina Williams
@UKEUDeputy
#VictimsofTerrorism
This is genuinely a cracking speech, and it’s very welcoming to see a politician so clearly draw a line in the sand in calling out Islamism.
But only time will tell whether Sunak is truly interested in doing something about it, or if he simply wants to talk the talk..
Overwhelmed by the amount of support for the project, but I shouldn’t have expected any less from
@edgehill
. Great university and great people - their support will no doubt help us grow the project tenfold
@EHU_Research
@EdgeHist
On my way from New Orleans to New York now. Looking forward to speaking at the
@UN
Global Congress on Victims of Terrorism in a few days’ time. See you all soon
@SurvivorsChoir
@stosglobal
JAILED | Jacob Graham, 20, from Liverpool has today been sentenced to 13 years for terrorism offences.
The investigation into Graham uncovered a huge number of manuals and publications which provided instructions on how to manufacture firearms, ammunition and explosives.
Lining up to enter the Spanish Royal Palace for an event with the King + Queen, and Ministers from across Europe, to mark the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism. There are no excuses why the UK can’t adopt & observe a day like this!
Terrorism can affect anyone, anywhere, at any time - we are simply the unlucky few.
If you see or hear something that doesn’t feel right, report your concerns to
@TerrorismPolice
. You are not wasting their time.
#TakeActionSaveLives
Thanks for taking part Max Balegde.
Airing next week: our Panorama investigation into the extremist conspiracy theorists sending death threats, abuse, and harassment to survivors of terror attacks here in the U.K.
Thank you to the brilliant
@mariannaspring
and
@BBCPanorama
team for covering this important topic.
Here's more on the Panorama investigation, airing next week as pod drops.
We hunt disaster trolls who target survivors of UK attacks online & off - and reveal who believes this.
All with top Panorama prod
@AlysEliza
& brill pod prod
@AdeaneAnt
& more!
On Tuesday, I was back over in Berlin on invitation from the British Embassy
@UKinGermany
and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
@FCDOGovUK
to speak at a UK-German counterterrorism exchange.
Very interesting to contrast approaches, positives and pitfalls, we both have.
Keep an eye on
@TerrorismPolice
’s social platforms tonight as we launch the first phase of a new vigilance campaign aimed at encouraging young people to report any concerns they might have around radicalisation- and how to spot the warning signs.
One day left to go - join me,
@FigenMurray
,
@AnnTravers6
, Maria Carhill, and
@RoyMcComb
as Chair - at the CT-SOC Summit on the fringes of International Security Expo 2023
@ISE_Expo
.
If any of my network are attending and want to grab a coffee, let me know.
I'll be speaking at International Security Expo (
@ise_expo
) in London in a few weeks' time, courtesy of an invite from
@PhilipIngMBE
. Looking forward to contributing to this panel discussion alongside
@FigenMurray
. Register for free to join us:
Goodbye to the worst PM of our generation. Completely callous throughout and disinterested in supporting victims of terrorism, despite everything she spouts every time an attack happens- can’t say I look at this news as anything other than a positive. No sympathy here I’m afraid.
"It is in the best interests of the country for a new prime minister to lead"
UK Prime Minister Theresa May announces she will resign on Friday 7 June
Live updates:
Two days in Birmingham
@JCSFCollege
, and another 1,500 college students trained with counter-extremism workshops.
Now onwards and up to Lancaster for another group!
Thank you
@VictimSupport
@VS_LondonUK
for supporting us with this. Please share with anyone affected by the Westminster Bridge terror attack in March 2017, we’re currently organising a commemorative event to take place on the 3rd Anniversary in a couple of months.
Westminster Commemorations Working Group are organising a service this March to remember those who died in the 2017
#WestminsterBridge
attack.
Find out how to be kept informed about plans for the event ⬇️
Had my own personal reasons for not taking part in
#FourDaysThatShookBritain
but a lot of respect for those who did. After the awful year we had last year, it’s time for the government to finally act to provide proper care for survivors and families and prepare for the future
Absolutely exhausting day. Interviews for
@survivors_a_t
this morning, followed by assessment at University in the afternoon, and topped off by an evening
@GiveBloodNHS
donation. Can’t say it wasn’t productive though ..
A very timely reminder that the effects of terrorism never truly leave, even if it may get easier for some with the passage of time.
Kudos to these survivors of terrorism for speaking out, 25yrs on from their attack!
3 Yrs since the Fishmongers’ Hall Attack today which means it’s also 3 Yrs since both
@Conservatives
&
@UKLabour
made election manifesto pledges to consult on a survivors’ charter to improve support for victims.
And, of course, still nothing. A real indictment on our politics.
'Five and half years down the line I've not received a penny'
Paul Price was badly injured in the Manchester Arena Bomb and Darryn Frost survived the Fishmongers Hall terror attack.
They told
#BBCBreakfast
about the lack of support for survivors