British parties in Downing St terror summit

Conservative leader Michael Howard called for new anti-terror measures when he met the British Prime Minister at Downing Street today.

The Tory leader was joined by shadow home secretary David Davis and their Liberal Democrat counterparts Charles Kennedy and Mark Oaten for the No 10 summit on how to tackle the threat of terrorism.

Mr Howard told GMTV he would go to Downing Street in a “spirit of co-operation” to discuss how to minimise the threat.

The Conservatives want to explore ways of allowing phone taps and other intercept evidence to be allowed in court.

Mr Howard said: “We have some proposals to make which we have been asking for for some time.

“We think intercept evidence should be allowed in court when terrorist suspects are on trial. We think this might help them to be convicted and ultimately jailed.”

Mr Howard said he would also be putting the case for a board of security force, which he said was something the police were also pressing for.

Also on the agenda will be the circumstances in which the UK's parliament should be recalled, he said.

“Parliament has gone off for a long break. I think it’s too long.

“It may be necessary for parliament to be recalled. I shall be asking the Prime Minister about any arrangements there are to recall parliament should that be necessary,” Mr Howard said.

The Tory leader said it was important for the country to be united in its response to terrorism.

He said: “One of the aims of the terrorists is to divide us, one from another. They haven’t succeeded in that on the whole and it’s very important they do not succeed.”

He paid tribute to the way Mr Blair had responded to the terror attacks and said that to blame the war in Iraq was too simplistic.

“What we are faced with is a group of people who are determined to end our way of life.

“They want to change the world in a way most people would find absolutely and completely unacceptable.

“I think it is simplistic to link it with Iraq, as some people might suggest,” he said.