Criminals like Southport killer are 'pathetic, vulnerable losers' but 'not terrorists', says ex-Met counter-terror boss

21 January 2025, 19:50 | Updated: 21 January 2025, 20:44

The Met’s former Counter Terrorism Police Chief Neil Basu has said criminals like the Southport killer are "pathetic, vulnerable, criminal losers" but that "they are not terrorists.”

Earlier today, the Prime Minister warned of a new breed of terrorist emerging in the UK made up of violent "loners and misfits", in the wake of the Southport killings.

Yesterday, Axel Rudakabana, now 18, pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, 10 of attempted murder, along with two terror-related charges.

Speaking on Tonight with Andrew Marr on LBC, Mr Basu stated the UK has "incredibly strong terrorist legislation" in response to Starmer's pledge to toughen terror legislation.

He explained: "If we start naming these people terrorists, you will probably give them exactly what they're looking for, which is their day of fame, their day of infamy.

"You will, in my view, inspire more of these acts, and these acts aren't terrorism. "Terrorism is a political crime," he clarified.

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'Serious problem'

Mr Basu said he would be "wary" to expand terrorism law to cover lone actors.

"We have very strong terrorism laws in this country.

"They apply to lone actors as much as they apply to organised terrorist networks.

"The point is the ideology and, in this circumstance, counter terrorism policing and local policing in Merseyside were not able to find an ideology. It didn't mean that there isn't one," he added.

Mr Basu also that the trend of attacks perpetrated by individuals, rather than groups, was beginning to become a "serious problem."

"It was violent people who have violent thoughts and want to commit violent acts, often trying to find a reason to do that.

"It's what's called mixed ideology now and is a very big percentage of the case work.

"Also, appallingly, they're getting younger, as we've seen in this monstrous example."

When probed on the police's ability to identify potential attackers, Mr Basu highlighted the complexities faced by law enforcement agencies in tracking individuals radicalised online.

He emphasised that while not entirely impossible, it would be difficult for authorities to prevent attacks originating from internet radicalisation - as many individuals harbour violent intentions without being involved in terrorist groups or networks.

"There are an awful lot of people who have violent intent, who have nothing to do with terrorism.

Read more: Southport killer Axel Rudakubana ‘carried a knife more than ten times and bought blade on Amazon’

Read more: 'Terrorism has changed': PM says Southport killings 'must be a line in the sand for Britain'

"If you divert that huge national security machine to looking at everyone who thinks they want to commit a violent act, you will create massive problems for that machine."

He also pointed out the risks of labelling these individuals as "terrorists," arguing that doing so could inadvertently give them the notoriety they crave.

"These are pathetic, vulnerable, criminal losers. They are not terrorists," Mr Basu added.

"If we start naming these people terrorists, you will probably give them exactly what they're looking for, which is their day of fame, their day of infamy."

Caller Martin and Vanessa Feltz discuss whether the Southport attack could’ve been avoided

Building on this, Mr Basu also stated: "I think people think that because somebody commits an act that mirrors terrorist methodology, they are a terrorist.

He added that when approaching the case, he assumed it was a case of a violent extremist misogyny.

"The Incel movement is an example of that, who wants to commit violent attacks against women and girls."

However, Neil believes the issue doesn't necessarily require changes to the law, "It may well be that he's just not confessed to it, or we have not found the evidence for that.

"I don't think that requires a change in the law in order to determine that."

He continued: "I'll say what I've said before is we should be very careful about labelling people terrorists with that incredibly emotive word that strikes fear into the heart of the public, even more fear than the random acts of violence and murder that we see too often in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

"We should not give it the label terrorism if it is not terrorism, it's a mistake."

In an address to the nation on Tuesday, Sir Keir said "the whole country grieves" for the victims of the Southport attack and that it "must be a line in the sand for Britain."

He said there must be "fundamental change" in how the country protects its children.

He also dismissed claims of a "cover-up" and said any inquiry should be 'unburdened by cultural sensitivities'  adding that institutions will not be allowed to 'deflect' responsibility. 

He flatly rejected allegations of a "cover-up" of terrorist links in the immediate aftermath of the atrocity, saying he knew about the details 'as they were emerging' but could not risk the case collapsing and the 'vile' perpetrator walking away free.

He said that "institutional failure ‘leaps off the page' and warned that "terrorism had changed".

He said that the violence seen in the Southport attack was a new form of terrorism committed by "loners and misfits".

The Home Secretary has announced that there will be a public inquiry into how Rudakubana "came to be so dangerous" and why Prevent "failed to identify the terrible risk" he posed to others.

Yvette Cooper confirmed the 18-year-old had "contact with a range of different state agencies throughout his teenage years" before carrying out his "meticulously planned rampage".

Ms Cooper said in a statement: "He was referred three times to the Prevent programme between December 2019 and April 2021 aged 13 and 14."

He also had contact with the police, the courts, the Youth Justice system, social services and mental health services.

"Yet between them, those agencies failed to identify the terrible risk and danger to others that he posed."