Shami Chakrabarti, Labour’s Shadow Attorney General, responding to the passing of the Government’s self-imposed deadline for a decision on a judge-led inquiry into historic allegations of torture, said:

“The Government has now failed to meet its own deadline for a response to cross-party calls for a judge-led inquiry.

“After eight years and two inadequate inquiries fettered by Whitehall interference, a fully independent judge-led inquiry is the only way to bring comprehensive resolution to this scandal.

“At a time when the US President has endorsed the use of “waterboarding and a hell of a lot worse”, it has never been more important that the UK stand firm against the use of torture and mistreatment. A Labour Government would take the strongest possible line against torture, including launch an independent judge-led inquiry.”