The Anglo-Spanish experience: a comparison of counter-terrorism strategies in the UK and Spain

Mcgrath, Stephen (2018) The Anglo-Spanish experience: a comparison of counter-terrorism strategies in the UK and Spain. Masters thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

This thesis provides a comparative analysis of UK and Spanish approaches to counter-terrorism between 2004 and 2014. The aims of this study are to identify and examine comparable counter-terrorism approaches in the United Kingdom and Spain, using both theoretical and legal frameworks to underpin the statistical analysis applied.

Whereas international counter-terrorism has been readily studied in the context of important events such as the September 11th attacks, very little work has been conducted regarding individual European comparatives. This is seen particularly in respect to comparative studies of counter-terrorism development and application, whereby the respective experiences of the UK and Spain are relevant.

To do so, this study chooses three indicators of counter-terrorism: policing numbers, security spending, and criminal prosecutions, and undertakes statistical examination using national comparatives, and associations with terrorism incidents. Using the period 2004-2014, it views the analysis through the lens of historical institutionalism and measures such events through the roles of institutions, exemplified by attacks in Madrid (2004) and London (2005) respectively.

It argues that while police numbers show little comparable data between the two nations, security spending is heavily influenced by economic and external factors in the UK and Spain. Similarly, and when correlated with terrorism events, conviction rates expose interesting divergences – the use of the criminal justice system in Spain suggest a number of historically-institutionalised issues not seen in the UK, particularly through the use of the nation’s constitutional reform.

Finally, it therefore offers a contribution to existing knowledge through suggesting that further understanding of historical events and their impact on legislation could have great influence on national counter-terrorism approaches. This could be furthered through a focus on alternative counter-terrorism strategies, which may show similarly institutionalised issues.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies
Depositing User:	Users 9280 not found.
Date Deposited:	10 Jun 2019 13:40
Last Modified:	10 Jun 2019 13:40
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/71300
DOI:

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