Jeremy Corbyn accuses Theresa May of ignoring warnings

Jeremy Corbyn tonight accused Theresa May of ignoring warnings about the terror risks of cutting police officers.

Labour's leader said Mrs May accused the Police Federation of 'crying wolf' about the cuts as he responded to the third terror attack in three months to hit Britain.

He said the Government could not protect the public 'on the cheap' in a hard-hitting address.

Mr Corbyn also accused her of suppressing a report believed to make embarrassing allegations about major British arms customer Saudi Arabia funding extremists.

And he sought to end the earlier controversy over his support for police use of 'shoot-to-kill' tactics against armed attackers, by stating that he backed the 'full authority for the police to use whatever force is necessary to protect and save life as they did last night, as they did in Westminster in March'.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (pictured tonight making a speech on terrorism) has restarted his general election campaign by claiming Theresa May accused the Police Federation of 'crying wolf' over police cuts

Mr Corbyn (pictured tonight in Carlisle) urged voters to turn out on Thursday in defiance of the marauding attackers

The Labour leader, speaking in Carlisle as he resumed his election campaign less than 24 hours after the London Bridge attack, urged voters to turn out on Thursday in defiance of the marauding attackers.

Police investigations into the atrocity, which killed seven and injured 50, are continuing tonight.

Mrs May responded to the attacks herself this morning with a defiant address from the steps of No 10. The speech was seen by Labour as stretching to the limit a brief political truce declared in the hours after the attack.

Mr Corbyn called a halt to that lull tonight with just three more days of campaigning before Thursday's election.

Outlining Labour's policy to recruit 10,000 more police officers, he said: 'Our priority must be public safety and I will take whatever action is necessary and effective to protect the security of our people and our country.

'That includes full authority for the police to use whatever force is necessary to protect and save life as they did last night, as they did in Westminster in March.

'You cannot protect the public on the cheap. The police and security services must get the resources they need, not 20,000 police cuts.

'Theresa May was warned by the Police Federation but she accused them of ''crying wolf''.'

Mr Corbyn's remarks are a strong defence of last night's police action and will be seen as a deliberate attempt to see off claims he does not fully supports officers' right to shoot to kill.

The Labour leader said it was crucial for Britain to go about the business of electing a new Government unbowed.

He said Thursday's contest remained primarily about the battle between different Tory and Labour visions for Britain.

But Mr Corbyn added: 'It is also now about something even bigger. It is about the struggle between terrorism and democracy itself.

'The mass murderers who brought terror to our streets in London and Manchester want our election to be halted. They want democracy halted.

'They want their violence to overwhelm our right to vote in a fair and peaceful election and to go about our lives freely.

'That is why it would be completely wrong to postpone next Thursday’s vote, or to suspend our campaigning any longer.'

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured making his initial response to the attacks this morning) tonight accused Theresa May of ignoring warnings about the terror risks of cutting police officers

Mr Corbyn was given a tough ride on security issues by a BBC Question Time audience on Friday night (pictured)

Mrs May this morning outlined a four point plan to tackle terror, insisting 'enough is enough'.

Theresa May has condemned the brutal attacks at London Bridge and warned Britain faces a 'new trend in the threat we face

Her plans include a renewed commitment to 'pluralistic British values', cracking down on online 'safe spaces' used by terrorists, tough new prison sentences for terror offences and prosecution of the war abroad on ISIS.

Mr Corbyn tonight insisted further steps were needed including a 'difficult conversation' with Saudi Arabia, long one of Britain's closest allies in the Middle East.

The Labour leader said: 'It is no good Theresa May suppressing a report into the foreign funding of extremist groups.

'We have to get serious about cutting off the funding to these terror networks, including Isis, here and in the Middle East.'

In her speech this morning, the Prime Minister said the three attacks in the past three months were not directly connected but were linked by the 'the single evil ideology of Islamist extremism'.

Speaking from the steps of No 10, Mrs May said Britain faces a 'new trend in the threat we face' warned 'things have to change'.

The Premier said there was 'far too much tolerance' of extreme views and vowed to stand up for 'pluralistic British values' that were 'superior' to the fanatics' ideology.

She vowed: 'We will take on and defeat our enemies.'

As her response continued, Mrs May paid a private visit to the Kings College Hospital in south London this afternoon to meet victims of the atrocity.

TERROR TIMELINE 10.08pm Police were called to reports of a vehicle hitting pedestrians on London Bridge Terrorists got out of car and ran to Borough Market stabbing people 10.16pm Three terrorists shot dead in Borough Market 10.32pm London Bridge station is closed 11pm Police said another incident was happening in Vauxhall as the station was reportedly evacuated 12.25am The incidents at London Bridge and Borough market & were declared as terrorist incidents 12.55am Police said the incident at Vauxhall was a stabbing and not connected to the terrorism

Pictures and videos showing bloodied survivors continued to emerge today in the aftermath of the attack, which claimed seven lives and left almost 50 injured.

Mrs May, who chaired a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee this morning, said the election campaign would resume in full tomorrow and the polls would open on Thursday as planned.

A minute's silence will be held at 11am on Tuesday and flags around the country will remain at half mast until then.

The official terror threat level has not been changed and remains at 'severe' - meaning an attack is 'highly likely'.

In her speech, Mrs May said: 'In terms of their planning and execution the recent attacks are not connected.

'But we believe we are experiencing a new trend in the threat we face as terrorism breeds terrorism and perpetrators are inspired to attack not only on the basis of carefully constructed plots after years of planning and training.

'And not even as lone attackers radicalised online but by copying one another and often using the crudest means of attack.

'We cannot and must not pretend things can continue as they are. Things need to change and they need to change in four important ways.'

The Prime Minister said the three attacks in the past three months were not directly connected but were linked by the 'the single evil ideology of Islamist extremism'

Mrs May, who chaired a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee this morning, said the election campaign would resume in full tomorrow and the polls would open on Thursday

Mrs May outlined her four point plan:

Defeating the extreme Islamist ideology to make them understand 'pluralistic British values' are superior

Ending the 'safe space' online for the plotting of terror attacks

Continuing military action against ISIS terrorists in Iraq and Syria

Tougher prison sentences at home for terrorist offences

Mrs May said: 'The whole of country needs to come together to take on this extremism and we need to live our lives not in a series of separate, segregated communities but as one truly United Kingdom.'

The PM added: 'Our country has made significant progress in disrupting plots and protecting the public.

'But it is time to say enough is enough. Everybody needs to go about their lives as they normally would. Our society should continue to function in accordance with our values.

'But when it comes to extremism and terrorism things need to change.'

Speaking on the steps of No 10 just hours after the attack, Mrs May said 'enough is enough' as she outlined a four point plan on tackling terrorism

Armed officers were stationed outside Downing Street today (pictured) as the Government's emergency committee met

Mrs May paid a private visit to the Kings College Hospital (pictured) in south London this afternoon to meet victims of the atrocity

The PM praised the 'great courage and great speed' with which police responded to the terror attacks and condemned the use of fake suicide vests to 'spread panic and fear'.

Mrs May vowed the election would continue as planned.

She said: 'As a mark of respect two political parties have suspended our national campaigns for today, but violence must never be allowed to disrupt the democratic process.

'So those campaigns will resume in full tomorrow and the general election will go ahead as planned on Thursday.

'As a country our response must be as it has always been when we have been confronted by violence.

'We must come together, we must pull together and united we will take on and defeat our enemies.'

Heavily armed officers continued their presence on the scene of the London Bridge terror attacks this afternoon

Prime Minister Theresa May has expressed her 'huge gratitude' to the emergency services who were on London Bridge within two minutes of last night's attack beginning