Ukip Margate conference: Jihadi John shows intelligence service must reform, says Douglas Carswell

Ukip MP Douglas Carswell says the 'Jihadi John' case shows Britain must revamp the way its intelligence services are monitored.

Speaking exclusively to IBTimes UK at the Ukip conference in Margate, Carswell says "independent-minded thinkers" need to be brought in to replace the "grandees" who currently monitor Britain's intelligence agencies.

Earlier this week a newspaper revealed that Jihadi John's real name was Mohammed Emwazi, a university-educated Muslim from west London. The government subsequently received fierce criticism in the media, with some suggesting that the Isis executioner's identity had been known for weeks.

Carswell, who became Ukip's first MP when he defected from the Conservatives in 2014, said: "I think we need to be careful about commenting on the performance of secret intelligence services because we don't know the whole picture.

"What I do know is that legally, by definition things could be done better. The real issue, I think here, is: how do we hold the secret intelligence services to account?

"At the moment we rely on the likes of Sir Malcom Rifkind, a committee of pooh-bahs and grandees in parliament. I don't think they're very good at asking the sort of questions that need to be asked.

"We need parliamentary oversight of the secret intelligence services but it needs to be meaningful parliamentary scrutiny.

The MP said it was vital "independent-minded thinkers" were needed to hold the intelligence services to account.

Turning to Rifkind, Carswell added that the cash-for-access scandal shows the UK needs a system of recall for its MPs.

"If we had a proper system of recall, and a MP was to behave in a way that caused a media outrage, it would be put to a judge and jury formed of the voter.

"What's happened to Jack Straw and Malcolm strengthens the case for recall. If you have recall you can decide what is a serious offence and what is a media storm."