Sunak's government faces accusations of suppressing freedoms by recently redefining extremism (Anatolia)
An official report due this week warns that towns and cities across Britain are “struggling” to deal with “extremism” stirred up by Islamists and the far right, the Telegraph reported.
The British newspaper said that a review, conducted by the government's social cohesion adviser, Sarah Khan, concluded that in some areas there is no "infrastructure" to address the "triple threat" of "conspiracy theories, misinformation, and harassment that pose a threat to democracy."
The Telegraph notes that a “Cohesion Response Unit” could now be set up by Communities and Local Government Secretary Michael Gove, in response to the report, as part of his officials’ social cohesion and counter-extremism action plan.
The plan follows the publication of the government's new definition of extremism, which was said to be a "first step" needed to tackle extremist behaviour, and improve "democratic resilience", amid concerns about groups "trying to subvert democracy".
Sarah Khan's report suggests that a cohesion response unit, staffed by police, education and counter-extremism officials, is needed to address "early tensions" and "hot incidents" in local areas before they spiral out of control.
Khan, a former counter-extremism commissioner, is also expected to call for the training of local authority officials and council members in conflict resolution, and the appointment of specialist staff who can help councils improve social cohesion.
Khan review suggests unity of response to counter threat of 'conspiracy theories' from Islamists and far-right (British press)
Khan's plan
Minister Gove is understood to support the majority of Dame Sarah's 15 recommendations contained in a report by the Communities Secretary and the Prime Minister, which is due to be published this week, according to the Telegraph.
These recommendations include developing a plan to address what Khan describes as “harassment that restricts freedom,” meaning threats, intimidation, or offensive harassment personally or in a way that aims to “make people or institutions exercise censorship or self-censorship out of fear.”
The report cites Oldham, Barrow-in-Furness and Stoke-on-Trent as examples of areas struggling with social cohesion and extremist activity.
In Stoke-on-Trent, the report warns that what it describes as a mix of far-right and radical Islamist activity “creates a permissive environment for extremism and the mainstreaming of extremist rhetoric within communities.”
Gove named three Islamist groups and two far-right groups, which will be assessed to see if they meet the government's new definition of extremism.
The definition aims to ensure that the government does not provide funding or hold meetings with groups that “promote extremist ideologies.”
Source: Telegraph