Former counter-terrorism police chief attacks Rishi Sunak’s Prevent plans

Conservative leadership candidate Rishi Sunak’s pledges include blocking terrorists from trying to ‘abuse our human rights framework’ by classifying them differently from the general prison population. Photograph: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

Rishi Sunak’s proposals to strengthen the government’s anti-terrorism programme risk “straying into thought crimes” and are potentially damaging to national security, a former senior police chief has said.

The former chancellor announced measures to beef up the Prevent programme on Tuesday night, as part of a bid to boost his flagging campaign to succeed Boris Johnson as the next prime minister.