What is Michel Barnier thinking? For some reason he has decided to tastelessly accuse Britain of turning its back on the fight against ISIS:

“[Brexit] was a decision taken against the backdrop of a strategic repositioning by our American ally, which has gathered pace since the election of Donald Trump. It was a decision that came after a series of attacks on European soil, committed by young people who grew up in Europe, in our countries. It was a decision that came six months after the French Minister of Defence issued a call for solidarity to all his European counterparts to join forces to fight the terrorism of Daesh. Never had the need to be together, to protect ourselves together, to act together been so strong, so manifest. Yet rather than stay shoulder to shoulder with the Union, the British chose to be on their own again.”

A stupid thing to say for many reasons, not least the massive ongoing value of British intelligence to the EU and the fact that we’ve had five terror attacks in the UK this year. It’s going down very badly on the British side: “Ignorant, inflammatory and irresponsible so close to sensitive negotiations,” says one source. Stay classy, Michel…

Would you have given the order to kill Sally Jones?

Corbyn: “It is difficult to give an answer to that question which is hypothetical.” pic.twitter.com/q5xOViqy0W

— Ben (@Jamin2g) October 12, 2017

“It is difficult to give an answer to a hypothetical question… I think people who have committed crimes ought to be put on trial.”

Spoiler: he wouldn’t.

The has been an incident on Whitehall – eyewitnesses say a man was tackled by several policemen and handcuffed and that there is a knife on the ground. No one has been injured and one man has been arrested. Armed police have blocked off the area. More as we get it…

A bag and what appears to be at least one knife on the ground, being photographed by forensic officers. Man arrested for possession of weapons.

The arrest (pic via @312dev):

Police questioning man at the scene:

#whitehall – police questioning man pic.twitter.com/WHb5Vt6bV9

— Angus Walker (@anguswalkertalk) April 27, 2017

Hooded man put into back of police car by armed police:

VIDEO: Man arrested with knives on Whitehall being put into unmarked police car outside the Treasury, Met helicopter overhead @LBC pic.twitter.com/wJVeXwcM1d

— Vincent McAviney (@Vinny_LBC) April 27, 2017

UPDATE: Statement from the Met:

A man has been arrested in Whitehall this afternoon, at approximately 14:22, following a stop and search as part of an ongoing operation. The man was arrested in Parliament Street, junction with Parliament Square, by armed officers from the Met’s Specialist Firearms Command. The man, aged in his late twenties, was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.Knives have been recovered from him. He is being detained under the Terrorism Act and is in custody in a south London police station. Detectives from the Counter Terrorism Command are continuing their investigation, and as a result of this arrest there is no immediate known threat.

The suspect:

Afzal Khan, Labour’s candidate in the Manchester Gorton by-election, is an associate of a radical Islamist who has supported the Taliban, ranted about Jews, defended Osama bin Laden and led funeral prayers for al-Qaeda jihadists. On 22 August 2015, Khan was photographed smiling alongside Siraj ul-Haq from the Pakistani Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami at a UK Islamic Mission event in Manchester.

Back in 2000 ul-Haq reportedly urged the Taliban not to hand over Osama bin Laden to the United States, offering them the support of his party. This is a news report from the time:

“Jamaat-e-Islami has urged Afghanistan’s Taliban not to hand over Saudi national Osama bin Laden to the United States or any other country. The demand was made by Jamaat-e-Islami provincial Secretary General Sirajul Haq in a meeting with the acting Governor of Eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar Maulvi Sadr-e-Azam… Sirajul Haq assured every kind of help and support to the Taliban on behalf of the Jamaat.”

In 2010 Ul-Haq was quoted ranting about “the Jews”:

“The Jews and Christians can not defeat and defame Islam by their hollow threats but they are testing our pulses through sensational announcements across the globe.”

In 2015 Pakistani media quoted ul-Haq peddling anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, including that “Blasphemy is a Zionist plot to disturb peace… Blasphemy should be declared a crime globally and stringent laws should be made in this regard”. 

According to a BBC report from 2006, ul-Haq led funeral prayers for 80 alleged Taliban and al-Qaeda militants killed in a bombing raid on a Madrasa in Pakistan. Haq has also opposed Pakistan’s Women’s Protection Act, a law aiming to protect female victims of violence.

Afzal Khan tells Guido in a statement:

“I spend a lot of my time going to community events, meeting people of all faiths, from a broad range of backgrounds. This was one of those events. I do not condone or endorse the views of Siraj-ul-Haq.”

Guido’s Labour Party vetting unit will have more on their extremist-linked Gorton candidate soon…

Tonight on Channel 4 News Simon Israel named hate preacher Abu Izzadeen AKA Trevor Brooks as the Westminster attacker. The BBC say they are wrong and that Izzadeen is still in jail:

Confirmed from multiple sources – official and community – that Trevor Brooks NOT attacker. He’s still in jail despite what others report.

— Dominic Casciani (@BBCDomC) March 22, 2017

Channel 4 News went back to a red-faced Israel at the end of their report, he reverse ferreted and said there was “some doubt” over his original report. Abu Izzadeen’s brother has called up Channel 4 News to tell them he wasn’t the attacker because he’s still in jail. Quite a blooper.  If you look closely, you can see Simon’s cheeks getting pinker… 

UPDATE: Plug pulled on Channel 4+1:

The LibDems’ new million pound donor has posted material advocating a boycott of Israel from a notorious website which expresses sympathy with suicide bombers. Greg Nasmyth, who it was revealed last week had made the major donation to the LibDems, posted a link to the Innovative Minds site calling for a boycott of companies “that support Apartheid Israel”. Innovative Minds gained notoriety last year when it emerged the site had published sympathetic articles about suicide bombers, including a terrorist who murdered 19 Israelis outside a nightclub. The site has also claimed Israel has no right to exist and should be “dismantled”. When John McDonnell was caught posting links to Innovative Minds last year he was forced to delete the posts and condemn the site. The unhinged article shared by Nasmyth calls for a boycott of companies including McDonald’s, Starbucks and Coca Cola for “supporting Apartheid Israel“. Unfortunate for the party of David Ward…