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The official line is clear: the UK does not ‘participate in, solicit, encourage or condone’ torture.

And yet, the evidence is irrefutable: when it comes to dealing with potential threats to our national security, the gloves always come off. In his new book, Cruel Britannia, journalist Ian Cobain exposes the lie behind our reputation for fair play. He is in Discussion with Malcolm Evans, Chair of the United Nations Sub Committee for the Prevention of Torture and a member of the UK Foreign Secretary’s Advisory Group on Human Rights, and Silvia Casale, former President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture.