The world feels like a dangerous place all of a sudden.
Greece first. We have continued to urge our euro area colleagues to act swiftly and responsibly to resolve current uncertainty and ensure economic and financial stability but given the present situation of a default and a potential exit from the euro, we have to be prepared for an impact on the stability of our own financial systems.
The horrific attack in Tunisia, directed against innocent people who were simply trying to enjoy their holiday, is deeply shocking and saddening. My thoughts are with the friends and families of the victims at this very difficult time. This is the most significant attack on British people since 7/7, and highlights the ongoing threat from ISIL. This act of evil and brutality demonstrates why we must confront this kind of extremism, wherever it happens, at home or abroad. ISIL may use ancient barbarism in its methods of killing, but it is modern in its propaganda techniques, using social media as its primary weapon. That is why we must give our police and security services the tools they need to take on this menace and look at how we can work with countries like Tunisia to counter this online propaganda. The UK must also help deal with it at its source, in places like Syria, Iraq and Libya. That means supporting governments to strengthen weak political institutions and tackle the political instability that creates ungoverned spaces in which terrorist groups thrive. British aircraft are already delivering the second largest number of airstrikes over Iraq, where ISIL has taken hold and we are working with international partners to support the formation of a Government of National Accord in Libya.
Finally, we must confront the extremist ideology, which hijacks the religion of Islam and drives horrific acts such as those seen in Tunisia. It says that the West is bad and freedom is wrong. It says that women are inferior and homosexuality is evil. It tells people that religious rule trumps the rule of law, that Caliphate trumps nation state. We must be more intolerant of intolerance and reject any views that condone the Islamist extremist narrative and create the conditions for it to flourish.
The situation in the Mediterranean is intolerable. But we recognise that the migrants’ misery doesn’t start on the Mediterranean: it begins when they leave their home countries – so we’ve always said this has to be part of a comprehensive long-term solution. Our focus is on targeting and stopping the callous criminals who lie behind this vile trade in human beings as well as stabilising the countries from which the migrants are coming. That means doing more to break the link between getting in a boat to cross the Mediterranean and getting settlement in Europe. We must distinguish between those genuinely fleeing persecution and economic migrants crossing the Mediterranean in the hope of a better life. While the UK has a proud tradition of providing refuge for those who need it, we must not provide new incentives for those simply seeking to come for economic reasons.