David Amess review to set out more Prevent probe failures ahead of MP’s murder

Ministers will publish details of the programme’s failures to stop Ali Harbi Ali before he stabbed the Tory MP at a constituency surgery in Leigh-On-Sea this week

The Prevent anti-terror programme dropped inquiries into the man who murdered MP David Amess’ too soon, a review is expected to find this week.

Ministers will publish details of the programme’s failures to stop Ali Harbi Ali before he stabbed the Tory MP at a constituency surgery in Leigh-On-Sea.

Ali, an Islamic State sympathiser, was referred to Prevent on two occasions before the 2021 killing.

The Home Office is set to publish a learning review of Prevent’s involvement in the case on Wednesday.

It’s thought the review will identify different failures than were found in Prevent’s handling of Southport killer Axel Rudakubana – but will reach the same conclusion, that inquiries were dropped too soon.

Katie Amess, David’s 39-year-old daughter, has demanded a full public inquiry into Prevent, saying everyone else it failed deserved to know the truth.

Home Office Minister Dan Jarvis said a “line in the sand” had been drawn after the Southport killings.

“Why was that line in the sand not drawn in 2021 when this happened to my dad?” Ms Amess told Times Radio on Wednesday.

“We potentially wouldn’t be in the same situation today with repeat failings of Prevent had somebody had just listened to me back when it happened and launched a full public enquiry.”

Ali, 28, was given a whole-life sentence in 2022 for the killing of Mr Amess.

He told the court he had plans to target various MPs, including cabinet minister Michael Gove, and was motivated by a desire to seek revenge against MPs who voted for air strikes in Syria.