Blair targets human - and animal rights

Tony Blair was trying to reclaim the political agenda today with major initiatives on human rights laws and the fight against animal rights extremism.

After another torrid week, dominated by demands that he announce his Downing Street departure date, the Prime Minister is trying to focus attention on his response to law and order issues.

Mr Blair is considering new legislation to overrule human rights judgements by the courts and provide additional protection for the targets of anti-vivisection extremists.

A letter leaked by Downing Street revealed that Mr Blair has ordered his new Home Secretary, John Reid, to draw up an overhaul of human rights legislation.

Amid claims that the Human Rights Act is putting public safety at risk by leaving dangerous criminals at large in the community, the Prime Minister has asked Mr Reid to "ensure that the law-abiding majority can live without fear".

In a letter to the Home Secretary, obtained by The Observer, Mr Blair said: "We will need to look again at whether primary legislation is needed to address the issue of court rulings which overrule the Government in a way that is inconsistent with other EU countries' interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights."

The move comes after a judge ruled that nine Afghan refugees who hijacked a plane to Britain could not be deported, on human rights grounds.

Mr Blair also today condemned the "appalling" activities of the criminal minority of animal rights campaigners.

Re-affirming the Government's support for animal testing, the Prime Minister pledged to do all that was necessary to root out those behind the campaign of terror.

Mr Blair said the Government would also consult on plans to keep shareholders' names secret to protect medical research which has saved hundreds of millions of lives.

The proposal comes after extremists threatened shareholders in drugs company GlaxoSmithKline they would have their names published on the internet unless they dumped their shares.

The Prime Minister's intervention also follows the imprisonment on Thursday of four people who ran a six-year hate campaign against the owners of a guinea pig farm, culminating in the theft of a pensioner's body from her grave.

In an article for The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Blair wrote: "The appalling details of the campaign of intimidation - which include grave robbing - show the depths to which the animal extremists are prepared to stoop.

"The letter writing campaign just launched against GlaxoSmithKline shareholders shows why we must step up efforts to support and protect individuals and companies engaged in life-saving medical research."

The Prime Minister said that the planned Company Law Reform Bill would allow directors to keep their home addresses private to protect them from intimidation.

Companies would also be able to refuse to release the names of shareholders unless requested for "a proper purpose".

He added that the Government was considering going even further, with some companies allowed to keep shareholders' lists entirely secret.

"If more measures are needed to protect individuals, universities and firms or to root out the criminal extremist fringe, we will provide them," he wrote.

Mr Blair also said that he intends, in a rare move for any minister, to sign the People's Petition in support of animal testing in the UK.

Mr Blair wrote: "Announcing that I am to add my name to the online petition in support of animal testing when necessary is something of a break with tradition - and a sign of just how important I believe it is that as many people as possible stand up against the tiny group of extremists threatening medical research and advances in this country."