The UK government is reportedly planning to publish a new definition of extremism that is intended to ensure that they can cut ties with individuals and groups whose behaviour or outlook is seen as crossing the line. In documents circulated to the Home Office and Downing Street, officials working for Communities Secretary Michael Gove have drawn up plans to ban groups and individuals who undermine the UK’s system of liberal democracy from public life. It is reported that officials have also drawn up plans for ‘trailblazer’ departments to pilot the scheme.
The Sunday Telegraph reports that Gove has urged pro-Palestinian protesters not to march alongside extremists. He has pledged to expose groups trying to “subvert democracy” and plans to go into details that would enable protesters to question whether they want to be lending support to extremist groups. Meanwhile, the Observer has also carried the story, underlining the government’s concern over protecting liberal democratic values from potential subversion.
Another story dominating the headlines is former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “secret” trip last month to Venezuela where he is understood to have held unofficial talks with its autocratic leader, Nicolás Maduro. The talks centred on the war in Ukraine, as well as normalising the relationship with the UK. There has been no response from Mr Johnson to queries as to who instigated the talks, or why.
Elsewhere, the Mail on Sunday has published an extract from the memoir of Earl Spencer, younger brother of Princess Diana, in which he reveals that he was sexually abused as a child at boarding school. Earl Spencer has said he was targeted by a female member of staff at Maidwell Hall, Northamptonshire in the 1970s, and alleges that the abuse began when he was just 11 years old. Maidwell Hall has said that it was “sobering” to learn of Earl Spencer’s experiences, adding that allegations of sexual abuse had been referred to a “local authority designated officer”.
The Guardian reports that the campaigning group Liberty is threatening legal action against the UK government for more information on its use of automatic facial recognition cameras. This follows a refusal by the Home Office to hand over documents related to the technology, claiming that it would “prejudice the prevention and detection of crime”. Liberty is concerned that the faces of innocent people are being scanned without their knowledge or consent
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