Labour should reverse years of political failure on extremism to cease it fuelling extra dysfunction, violence and terrorism in Britain, main figures have mentioned.
Neil Basu, the previous head of counter-terrorism policing, and Dame Sara Khan, beforehand the federal government’s counter-extremism tsar, warned that proposals unveiled final month wouldn’t be sufficient to deal with a poisonous pool of hatred, conspiracy theories and “harmful rhetoric” from high-profile figures together with Elon Musk.
Yvette Cooper, the house secretary, final month introduced elevated funding for counter-terrorism police, plans to strengthen the Stop counter-terrorism scheme and a brand new impartial commissioner to supervise its effectiveness.
Nonetheless, that function overlaps with the Fee for Countering Extremism (CCE), which was arrange after the 2017 terrorist assaults, and the Observer understands a call is but to be made on the CCE’s future.
Khan, who led the fee from 2018 to 2021, welcomed Labour’s creation of an impartial Stop commissioner however mentioned a separate physique was nonetheless wanted to counter extremism and associated threats, together with disinformation and conspiracy theories.
“Extremism is a societal drawback and requires a societal response,” she mentioned. “Attempting to counter extremism via the lens of counter-terrorism and nationwide safety has so far been a futile, flawed and failed strategy.”
Basu, who led UK counter-terrorism policing from 2018 to 2021, mentioned Stop doesn’t have the capability to sort out non-violent extremism, and a “coherent technique” is required.
“You need to have a look at the complete spectrum from extremism to terrorism, otherwise you’re by no means going to have the ability to perceive the entire risk,” he added.
“Some people who find themselves not terrorists are superb at creating terrorists, wittingly or unwittingly. Once you’ve acquired folks with very massive on-line followings who’re able to producing extremism and the authorities isn’t doing something, that is extremely harmful.”
Basu mentioned an internet storm being fuelled by Musk, the proprietor of X, over the response to grooming gangs in Britain had the potential to set off violence, pointing to the 2017 Finsbury Park terrorist assault. Concentrating on Muslims, the perpetrator, Darren Osborne, drove his van right into a crowd after a documentary on sexual exploitation in Rochdale was seized on by far-right influencers.
“The folks claiming there’s a cover-up of mass rape will not be designing their language to create a race warfare or a riot, however it might probably – we all know it might probably,” Basu mentioned. There are folks on the market who will take their message to commit violence … there shall be one other Darren Osborne on the market.”
The retired Metropolitan police officer referred to as Musk’s current rhetoric on grooming gangs, migration and British politicians “harmful”, warning that it might have a “real-world impact”.
The Fee for Countering Extremism warned in 2021 that radicalisers have been “working with impunity” on-line due to gaps between hate crime and anti-terrorism legal guidelines, and a scarcity of social media regulation.
However Conservative ministers didn’t formally reply to the report or implement its suggestions, and the CCE’s function has since shifted to an inside deal with authorities coverage and coaching, and oversight of the Stop programme.
The physique was not appointed to hold out the “counter-extremism dash” began by the Labour authorities in July, with the analysis as an alternative being entrusted to House Workplace civil servants. Commissioner Robin Simcox’s time period is because of finish this summer season.
Khan mentioned the CCE’s function had “modified dramatically” since her departure, with much less deal with extremism that sits outdoors terrorism. “For my part this was a mistake,” she mentioned. “The UK faces a threatening extremism panorama and our nation is ill-equipped to stop and reply to this evolving pattern.
“The summer season riots of 2024 demonstrated the involvement of extremist actors and teams, extremist narratives, disinformation and conspiracies. The failure to pre-empt and forestall such exercise, each within the brief and long run, evidences the persevering with gaps inside Whitehall.”
Basu mentioned work towards extremism had been hampered by a scarcity of political consensus and rows over a number of proposed definitions. “There’s no cross-party consensus on what extremism is, what freedom of speech is, what respectable opinion is,” he added. “Till you find yourself with an accepted definition that might kind the premise of laws, you’re nonetheless going to have that lacuna which is able to let folks like [Islamist preacher] Anjem Choudary and Tommy Robinson keep on the correct facet of the legislation.”
Basu mentioned extremism would proceed worsening until the federal government comprehensively tackled points together with poverty and social deprivation that make folks “simple prey for radicalisers”.
“It is a elementary drawback for generations to return, and also you’ll by no means repair it from a legislation enforcement strategy,” he added. “You’ll cease some plots, some will get via, it’s going to occur for ever. It’s cyclical – it’s been happening for many years, it’s going to carry on taking place.”
Basu warned that, whereas the federal government plans to strengthen the Stop counter-terrorism scheme, it might probably solely take care of people being radicalised in the direction of violence, slightly than wider narratives and influencers. “Not all extremism is about terrorism – a variety of extremism is about polarised political opinions or social deprivation, and that’s not a safety concern,” he added.
A House Workplace spokesperson mentioned additional steps could be introduced sooner or later. They added: “Our counter-extremism dash has accomplished important work assessing the challenges going through our nation and contemplating the correct strategy to tackling the trendy threats we face, knowledgeable by the recommendation and expertise of quite a few professional our bodies, together with the CCE.”
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