We're looking forward to welcoming @BrandonLewis alongside Lord West, Lord Evans, Baroness Falkner, @khalid4PB & @NCA_LynneOwens tomorrow morning to discuss Security and Crime after #Brexit. You'll be able to watch the livestream here from 9am:
policyexchange.org.uk/pxevents/secur…
policyexchange.org.uk/pxevents/secur…
.@BrandonLewis: we've been trailblazing in technological and operational progress when it comes to protecting our citizens for many years in the UK, from Operation Mincemeat and cracking the Enigma code in WW2 to the Global Coalition against Daesh 
.@BrandonLewis: We will be international in our approach to security because terrorists and criminals know no boundaries - as the tragic events in Grays reminded us
.@BrandonLewis: #Brexit creates an opportunity to look beyond Europe, to take a global approach to security. To do this we are investing in our international relationships, such as with our partners in 5 Eyes, w Interpol, & with countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan & India
.@BrandonLewis: What's on the dark web is increasingly becoming more public which is in no one's interest. We cannot allow the internet to be a haven for good abuse & terrorism. Have to work with industry to tackle this
.@BrandonLewis: In past couple of months Border Force & NCA investigations have led to 2 record seizures of heroin and firearms being smuggled across our border. We stopped these from reaching our streets & prevented horrific crimes that they enable.
Lord Evans (fmr head of security service): threats are globalised thru internet & travel so response needs to be globalised. I find it hard to see security upside from Brexit so task is to minimise downside
Lord Evans: keeping security as EU member state responsibility has been to our advantage so day to day intelligence sharing will not be significantly hampered by Brexit, which is reassuring
Lord Evans: can't think of any other country that has better integration between intelligence and law enforcement agencies than UK
Lord Evans: it's hard to imagine that we will be in quite such a good place within Europol after Brexit but we will need to do our best to compensate
Lord Evans: has been extremely important for U.K. to be in EU to make case for security to matter to citizens alongside data protection. We need to exert as much influence as we can over EU policy making as we will inevitably be impacted by it
Lord Evans: not a zero sum game where it's either 5 eyes or EU - clearly mutually reinforcing. We need to make sure we don't neglect our nearest neighbours with whom our security continues to be enmeshed
.@NCA_LynneOwens: serious & organised crime kills more UK citizens every year than war, terrorism & natural disaster combined & costs economy £37bn every year
.@NCA_LynneOwens: Child abuse referrals to NCA have risen 900% since 2013. 2.8m ppl registered on dark web sites looking at this content, we estimate 5% in the UK
.@NCA_LynneOwens: serious & organised crime is driven by greed & profit. Last year we froze £46m, including 96 accounts linked to Chinese students & money laundering. It is right to examine extent of threat now
.@khalid4PB: radicalisation online difficult for all agencies involved - extremists' objective is to divide communities
.@khalid4PB: need to look at our border agency & see if they have all the resources they need to keep our borders safe. Let's see if reviews translate into more cash for NCA & support for police, who are hurt on streets day in day out
Baroness Falkner: after Brexit UK will need to ask itself to what extent it can project strategic autonomy. In last 3/4 years profound changes have made our last security strategy out of date, inc change in US administration & uncertainty of future relationship with EU
Baroness Falkner: another challenge is uncertainty of relationship with China - Lord Ricketts describes UK's view as one of cognitive dissonance. We see it as strategic competitor which needs containment but we're also committed to improving economic relations
Baroness Falkner: i see fewer obstacles in agreeing a good future strategic partnership with EU after Brexit than I think others do
Lord West: risk of state on state war greater than at any time since end of Cold War and use of nuclear weapons greater than since 1945. Brexit will make little difference to our security & defence & it's great that we won't be involved with ludicrous idea of European army
Lord West: we've got fantastic tools like Investigative Powers Bill which other countries shd look at. We're doing v well in cyber but can't rest on our laurels. Capability of our agencies is mind blowing
Lord West: I am really concerned about our lack of interest in Chinese penetration of the U.K. - inc Chinese students on courses like AI, stealth tech, quantum maths where we don't know their backgrounds
