Labour and the Conservatives sought to blame each other for the release of the convicted terrorist who killed two people in London Bridge on Friday.
Prime minister Boris Johnson and home secretary Priti Patel both claimed that Jeremy Corbyn’s party was responsible for the law that meant 28-year-old Usman Khan was freed on licence half way through his 16-year sentence.
Meanwhile former shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper questioned what action the government took to assess the risks posed by the attacker, and both Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, pointed to cuts made to public services over the last decade.
The attacker, who was convicted of terrorism offences in 2012 and released last December, was fatally shot by police at about 2pm on Friday.
One of the victims has been named as 25-year-old Jack Merritt, who worked as a course coordinator for the prisoners’ rehabilitation programme holding the event at Fishmongers’ Hall.
His father David described him as “an exceptional young man” and called for greater funding of probation services monitoring released prisoners.
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Welcome to The Independent's live coverage of the response to Friday's terror attack on London Bridge.
Sadiq Khan has told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “you can't disaggregate terrorism and security from cuts made to resources of the police, of probation, the tools that judges have.”
Speaking on Saturday morning, Mr Khan said: “The key thing is we need to support the police and security service.
“And of course politicians can't use trite words and trite language after a terror attack. The key thing is to remind ourselves of two things.
“First is yesterday we saw the very best of Londoners, but also, secondly, we've got to make sure the right lessons are learnt.”
The University of Cambridge has also released a statement this morning.
Professor Stephen J Toope, the vice chancellor, said he was “devastated” to learn the attack may have been targeting people attending an event organised by the university.
It was reported yesterday that the attacker was attending a University of Cambridge conference on prisoner rehabilitation at Fishmongers' Hall.
Brandon Lewis, the security minister, has refused to say whether the attack by a convicted terrorist showed a “failure” by authorities.
Mr Lewis, who spoke to Sky News and the BBC on Saturday morning, also responded to suggestions that cuts played a role in the attack.
He said police funding and police numbers for counter-terrorism have “consistently increased since 2015".
The minister added: “The Metropolitan Police is the best-funded per capita police force in the country and we will continue to ensure they have the resources they need to keep us safe."
Questions have been raised about how Usman Khan was able to attack members of the public after being convicted for his role in a plot to bomb London’s stock exchange in 2012.
Khan was out on licence from prison when he killed two people in the stabbing attack before he was shot dead by police.
In 2013, he was given a 16-year fixed term sentence of which half should be served in prison.
Speaking at the time, Lord Justice Leveson said: “There is an argument for concluding that anyone convicted of such an offence should be incentivised to demonstrate that he can safely be released; such a decision is then better left to the Parole Board for consideration proximate in time to the date when release becomes possible.”
However, the Parole Board has released a statement this morning denying any involvement in Khan’s release from prison.
You can read the statement below:
Staffordshire Police have been carrying out searches this morning at an address where Usman Khan had been living.
In a new statement, police have asked members of the public to be vigilant and said it is vitally important that people remain “alert but not alarmed” after the attack.
They added: “We would like to reassure communities across the County that our local officers will be carrying out high-visibility patrols and will be on hand for reassurance and to respond to any concerns people may have.”
Chris Phillips, a former head of the UK National Counter Terrorism Security Office, has launched a damning attack on the criminal justice system, which he said was “playing Russian roulette” with the lives of the public.
“The criminal justice system needs to look at itself,” he told the Press Association.
“We're letting people out of prison, we're convicting people for very, very serious offences and then they are releasing them back into society when they are still radicalised.
“So how on earth can we ever ask our police services and our security services to keep us safe?”
Mr Phillips added that a lack of funding for prisons could lead to more terrorist incidents similar to Friday’s attack.
“No-one wants to spend money on prisons… However, if you don't spend the money on the prisons, if you don't keep people locked up, if you don't stop radicalisation happening in prisons, then you have incidents like this,” he said.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has said flags on UK government buildings will fly at half-mast today for the victims of yesterday’s terror attack.
Two people were killed in the stabbing attack on Friday and three others injured.
Here’s how the leaders of the major political parties responded to the attack yesterday.
Boris Johnson said he would be chairing an emergency Cobra meeting and there would be an enhanced police presence on the streets for “reassurance purposes”.
Jeremy Corbyn said he was “deeply shocked” by the attack and thanked police officers and members of the public who intervened.
And Jo Swinson said her thoughts were with all those affected by “this appalling display of violence”.
More from Sadiq Khan, who spoke to Sky News’ this morning.
Mr Khan commended the bravery of members of the public and said he did not think it was right for someone convicted of a serious offence to be automatically released.
Detectives are appealing for anyone with any information on the attack to come forward.
Officers are particularly interested in speaking to anyone who was at Fishmongers' Hall on London Bridge yesterday.
The man who apparently used a narwhal tusk to fight the London Bridge attacker has been named as Luckasz – he is reportedly a Polish chef who worked at Fishmongers’ Hall.
And according to historian Guy Walters, he is not the first person to think of taking a narwhal tusk as a weapon.
And according to historian Guy Walters, he is not the first person to think of taking a narwhal tusk as a weapon.
In Greenland, the tusks used to be made into a weapon called a “nuguit”.
Residents living near a flat in Stafford where Usman Khan is thought to have lived have told PA of their shock over the attack.
Justin Lightfoot, a retired police officer who lives nearby, said he instantly recognised Khan when a friend showed him a mugshot of the 28-year-old in a news report.
“I've seen his picture this morning online and when I saw that obviously I recognised him. A friend showed me the picture and as soon as I saw it, I recognised him straight away,” he said.
“It's just frightening when somebody lives so close to you - you don't know what's going on so near to your home.”
The Independent’s Zoe Tidman has the full story on how members of the public took down the knife-wielding London Bridge attacker.
Forensic officers have been seen clearing items from the floor at the junction of Cannon Street, near London Bridge, this morning.
Officers wearing forensic overalls were seen carrying items – which looked like medical supplies – in plastic bags out of a blue tent.
The Queen has sent “thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies to all those who have lost loved ones” in yesterday’s attack, according to PA.
Boris Johnson has arrived at the scene of the London Bridge attack, according to a PA update.
The prime minister and Priti Patel, the home secretary, met with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick and City of London Police Commissioner Ian Dyson inside the police cordon shortly after 11.30am.
Here’s the full statement from the Queen:
“Prince Philip and I have been saddened to hear of the terror attacks at London Bridge.
“We send our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies to all those who have lost loved ones and who have been affected by yesterday's terrible violence.
“I express my enduring thanks to the police and emergency services, as well as the brave individuals who put their own lives at risk to selflessly help and protect others.”
Images have been released of Boris Johnson’s visit to the scene of the attack earlier today.
The prime minister was joined by Priti Patel and Cressida Dick on the bridge.
Sadiq Khan is expected to visit London Bridge later this afternoon.
The BBC have announced that Mr Johnson will be interviewed on The Andrew Marr Show tomorrow.
The prime minister had been blocked from appearing on the show this weekend because he had not agreed to a half-hour primetime interview with Andrew Neil.
Mr Johnson is currently the only major party leader to not agree to an interview with Mr Neil.
However, the broadcaster said it is “now in the public interest” for him to speak to Mr Marr “in the wake of a major terrorist incident”.
