It is a sad comment to make in the light of the devastating terror attack on Saturday evening in our nation’s capital but the point remains true of any act of terrorism within an election campaign. There will inevitably be attempts to politicise the issue whether that is Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour camp complaining about the cuts made to the police force or Theresa May calling for a tougher stance against extremism. While this is bad enough the fact that such statements could translate into knee-jerk policy is something that everyone should be worried about.

In her statement to the press after the atrocity Theresa May called for a new wave of anti-terror legislation in a bid to solve the problem at source. With the Conservatives trailing in the polls it is possible that any bounce or subsequent election victory would be linked by the party to the promises made in the wake of the London attacks.

The particular details are blurry right now but at their core involve reforming anti-terror laws and international regulation of the Internet.

The plans would establish more severe penalties for those convicted of even minor terrorism-related offences but if this is matched with a broader definition of the term then the likely consequence is a swelling of the already large prison population.

The truth is that prison simply does not work when dealing with these types of crimes. Being inside only breeds contempt for the state and more often than not leads to recidivism and a move by the offender into much more serious crimes.

Meanwhile more regulation of the Internet on an international scale is something that everyone should be worried about. The amount of government control over what we do online is already a major concern but adding not only to this but also creating a new international standard would be open to heavy-handedness and abuse.

As well as questions regarding the effectiveness of such a strategy the move would have serious consequences for personal liberty and freedom. Those planning a terrorist attack will often find ways around government surveillance and the wider definition of terrorism in this context will only ‘catch’ those exercising their right to free speech.

This is not to say that they current approach to tackling terrorism in the UK is perfect. The Prevent programme should be subject to scrutiny after the election with a view to greater engagement in communities susceptible to extremism and more should be done to expose radical ideology for what it is. Proposals such as those put forward by the prime minister will only serve to create greater resentment, force such groups further underground and demonstrate that a strategy of fear is ultimately successful.

The UK has recently endured a number of awful attacks on her shores but the correct response is to show what it truly means to be an open and democratic country that does not compromise on its principles even when it is on the back-foot.