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The UK government is reportedly set to reject internal advice to broaden the definition of extremism and target several groups including potentially violent environmentalists, those on the far left, those who promulgate conspiracy theories and men prejudiced against women. According to the findings of a rapid “sprint” report commissioned by the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in 2024, the government was asked to focus on targeting Islamist and far-right extremism and identifying comprehensive steps to stop people being drawn towards hateful ideologies. The report also scoped a new counter-extremism strategy to counterbalance online as well as offline threats from a broad spectrum of extremism to prevent harmful and hateful beliefs and violence.
However, leaked sections of the report suggest that the government’s counter-extremism strategy should shift focus to “behaviours of concern” rather than “ideologies”, a move that has been criticised by the Policy Exchange think tank. The behaviours in question would include types of misogyny and spurious conspiracy theories, gore-fascination, involvement in the online subculture and environmental extremism. However, the report also admits that many who show these behaviours would not be classed as extremist.
Policy Exchange, which has not released the Home Office report itself, recently published an evaluation in which it quoted heavily from the report. The authors describe the report’s recommendations as being in the wrong direction and claiming that redefining extremism threatens free speech. They go on to say that the existing security services are already overstretched and that such directions would add more administration rather than providing additional resources towards addressing the extremism.
The government’s current strategy, “known as Contest,” is considered to be “ideologically agnostic.” Nevertheless, counter-extremist officers remain focused on tackling Islamism and right-wing extremism, both of which are thought to be the most significant threats to the UK. The report concluded that claims that two groups are being treated differently following similar events were part of a right-wing extremist narrative that leaks into mainstream discussions
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