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| Paralysis at the heart of UK counter-extremism policy | Paralysis at the heart of UK counter-extremism policy |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The disclosure by the home secretary, Amber Rudd, that the Home Office is starting the search this week for someone to lead its new commission for countering extremism is indicative of the paralysis at the heart of the government’s policy on the issue. | The disclosure by the home secretary, Amber Rudd, that the Home Office is starting the search this week for someone to lead its new commission for countering extremism is indicative of the paralysis at the heart of the government’s policy on the issue. |
| On the eve of the Parsons Green attack, the head of counter-terrorism policing, deputy assistant commissioner Neil Basu, rightly said there had been “a shift-change in momentum” behind the terror threat since the Westminster attacks in March. | On the eve of the Parsons Green attack, the head of counter-terrorism policing, deputy assistant commissioner Neil Basu, rightly said there had been “a shift-change in momentum” behind the terror threat since the Westminster attacks in March. |
| The police and security services have matched that, foiling six terrorist plots and making a record number of arrests, but the same cannot be said for the government’s counter-extremism policy. | The police and security services have matched that, foiling six terrorist plots and making a record number of arrests, but the same cannot be said for the government’s counter-extremism policy. |
| It is now more than two years since Theresa May outlined a battery of “full spectrum” measures to criminalise non-violent extremism for the first time with the aim of tackling the underlying causes of terrorist attacks. A new extremism bill was duly announced following the 2015 general election, including civil orders to ban extremist groups, restrictions on the behaviour of extremists and powers for the media regulator, Ofcom, to censor extremist content. | It is now more than two years since Theresa May outlined a battery of “full spectrum” measures to criminalise non-violent extremism for the first time with the aim of tackling the underlying causes of terrorist attacks. A new extremism bill was duly announced following the 2015 general election, including civil orders to ban extremist groups, restrictions on the behaviour of extremists and powers for the media regulator, Ofcom, to censor extremist content. |
| The bill, however, never appeared. Nor did a similar measure, a counter-extremism and safeguarding bill, which was announced in the May 2016 Queen’s Speech. It emerged that behind the scenes government lawyers had found it impossible to find a “legally robust” definition of extremism that would have any chance of surviving a free speech challenge in the courts. The anti-extremism bills went through “dozens of drafts” but the problem was never resolved. | The bill, however, never appeared. Nor did a similar measure, a counter-extremism and safeguarding bill, which was announced in the May 2016 Queen’s Speech. It emerged that behind the scenes government lawyers had found it impossible to find a “legally robust” definition of extremism that would have any chance of surviving a free speech challenge in the courts. The anti-extremism bills went through “dozens of drafts” but the problem was never resolved. |
| May tried to revive her counter-extremism drive in the aftermath of the attacks this year in Westminster and Manchester by announcing the creation of a statutory commission to counter-extremism and promote British values. | May tried to revive her counter-extremism drive in the aftermath of the attacks this year in Westminster and Manchester by announcing the creation of a statutory commission to counter-extremism and promote British values. |
| Among its tasks is to “identify extremism and advise the government on new policies, laws and other actions that might be required to tackle it”. In other words it is being asked to resolve the problem of defining an extremist, which the government have so far failed to do. | Among its tasks is to “identify extremism and advise the government on new policies, laws and other actions that might be required to tackle it”. In other words it is being asked to resolve the problem of defining an extremist, which the government have so far failed to do. |
| Four months later, despite grand claims that it will “learn the lessons from the struggle against racism in the 20th century”, the Home Office has only just got round to advertising for a lead commissioner and has yet to clarify how a statutory commission will be set up without primary legislation. | Four months later, despite grand claims that it will “learn the lessons from the struggle against racism in the 20th century”, the Home Office has only just got round to advertising for a lead commissioner and has yet to clarify how a statutory commission will be set up without primary legislation. |
| In the meantime, the home secretary, Amber Rudd, has spent the summer going to Silicon Valley to urge the US-based web giants including YouTube, Facebook and Google to do far more to take down terrorist and extremist content despite their protests that they already adopt an aggressive approach. The problems they face are ones of scale and a lack of legal clarity over who is an extremist, not a lack of willingness. | In the meantime, the home secretary, Amber Rudd, has spent the summer going to Silicon Valley to urge the US-based web giants including YouTube, Facebook and Google to do far more to take down terrorist and extremist content despite their protests that they already adopt an aggressive approach. The problems they face are ones of scale and a lack of legal clarity over who is an extremist, not a lack of willingness. |
| The government has done little to repair the tarnished reputation of its Prevent programme aimed at those vulnerable to radicalisation. There have been repeated calls for the programme to be recast and rebranded, or even perhaps replaced as an Engage strategy that puts the affected communities in the driving seat. | The government has done little to repair the tarnished reputation of its Prevent programme aimed at those vulnerable to radicalisation. There have been repeated calls for the programme to be recast and rebranded, or even perhaps replaced as an Engage strategy that puts the affected communities in the driving seat. |
| So far, however, all that has emerged from an internal Home Office review is a desire to expand the programme and increased its network of local community coordinators. Plans to tackle Islamist extremist prisoners in separate dedicated units have also been scaled back. | So far, however, all that has emerged from an internal Home Office review is a desire to expand the programme and increased its network of local community coordinators. Plans to tackle Islamist extremist prisoners in separate dedicated units have also been scaled back. |
| A review of sharia law first announced in 2015 will finally submit its report later this year, but ministers have not been able to resist the temptation to get involved in censoring extremist content. Having been rebuffed by Britain’s major broadcasters, the Home Office now says it intends to use the new Digital Economy Act 2017 to enable Ofcom to act quickly against community radio stations and digital TV channels that breach standards on hate speech and derogatory content. | A review of sharia law first announced in 2015 will finally submit its report later this year, but ministers have not been able to resist the temptation to get involved in censoring extremist content. Having been rebuffed by Britain’s major broadcasters, the Home Office now says it intends to use the new Digital Economy Act 2017 to enable Ofcom to act quickly against community radio stations and digital TV channels that breach standards on hate speech and derogatory content. |
| In the face of the paralysis in the government’s drive against extremism, Rudd was again reduced on Sunday to announcing more money for counter-terrorism policing in the wake of the Parsons Green attack. The extra £24m is to go to the Metropolitan and Greater Manchester forces in part to help meet the costs of recent attacks. | In the face of the paralysis in the government’s drive against extremism, Rudd was again reduced on Sunday to announcing more money for counter-terrorism policing in the wake of the Parsons Green attack. The extra £24m is to go to the Metropolitan and Greater Manchester forces in part to help meet the costs of recent attacks. |
| It is only a fraction of the £707m counter-terrorism policing budget in 2017/18, but it will help to meet criticism that the unfunded rise in police pay could lead to more cuts in counter-terrorism policing. | It is only a fraction of the £707m counter-terrorism policing budget in 2017/18, but it will help to meet criticism that the unfunded rise in police pay could lead to more cuts in counter-terrorism policing. |
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