- New Initiative: Home Office launches a rapid project to combat extremist ideologies in the UK
- Government Response: Home Secretary Yvette Cooper commits to tackling both online and street-based extremism
- Focus Areas: The initiative will address Islamist, far-right extremism, and other dangerous ideologies like extreme misogyny.
The Home Office has said that it will “kickstart” an initiative to address the “threat posed by extremist ideologies.”
Following the riots that erupted throughout the UK earlier this month, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has committed to take down those “pushing harmful and hateful beliefs” and “kickstart” a new approach to combating extremism.
The Home Office has commissioned a “rapid sprint” to devise a new method of fighting extremism.
The project intends to provide analysis and recommendations on how to “deal with the threat posed by extremist ideologies.”
It will help to shape a new government counter-extremism policy to address shifting trends of extremism in the UK.
According to the Home Office, the initiative will investigate the increase of both Islamist and far-right extremism in the UK, as well as wider ideological tendencies such as extreme misogyny or attitudes that fall into broader categories such as a fascination with violence.
So far, around 460 persons have appeared before magistrates’ courts in connection with the unrest caused by misinformation about the suspect in the Southport knife attack.
At least 72 people under the age of 18 are expected to have been charged.
Several people have been charged with contributing to riots by distributing written material that incites racial hatred or sends a profoundly offensive message.
Ms. Cooper stated, “For too long, governments have failed to address the surge of extremism, both online and on our streets, and the number of young people radicalized online has increased.
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“Hateful incitement of all kinds fractures and frays the very fabric of our communities and our democracy.”
The home secretary went on to say, “Action against extremism has been severely weakened in recent years, particularly when it was most required.
“That is why I have directed the Home Office to conduct a rapid analytical sprint on extremism, to map and monitor extremist trends, to understand the evidence about what works to disrupt and divert people away from extremist views, and to identify any gaps in existing policy that must be addressed to crack down on those spreading harmful and hateful beliefs and violence.
That effort will serve as the foundation for the government’s new strategic approach to fighting extremism, which will involve close collaboration with communities to develop consensus and momentum for our initiatives.
The new policy intends to deliver on the government’s campaign vow to prevent people from being pulled into abhorrent views.
Ms Cooper had attacked the previous Conservative government for failing to implement a counter-extremism policy since 2015, claiming that the lack of a clear approach and practical strategies was making communities less safe.
