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Extremism Review 2025-01-28
28 January 2025
Lead MP
Chris Philp
Debate Type
Urgent Question
Tags
No tags
Other Contributors: 23
At a Glance
Chris Philp raised concerns about extremism review 2025-01-28 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Will the Minister confirm that there are no plans to expand the definition of extremism and detail any action taken regarding the leaked report on the Home Secretary’s extremism review?
Chris Philp
Con
Croydon South
Question
Does the Minister agree that focusing Prevent on extremist ideologies is more important than policing issues like the online 'manosphere' and misinformation? Does the Minister also commit to retaining changes made by the previous government regarding non-crime hate incidents?
Minister reply
The leaked report does not recommend expanding the definition of extremism. The Government has implemented all but one recommendation from the Shawcross review. Regarding non-hate crime incidents, a consistent and common-sense approach must be taken to ensure policing focuses on delivering safer streets.
Clive Efford
Lab
Eltham and Chislehurst
Question
Does my hon. Friend agree that this urgent question is unnecessary given the leaked document does not represent government policy?
Minister reply
Agrees with the sentiment, emphasising that discussions should be focused on actual government policy.
Lisa Smart
LD
Hazel Grove
Question
How will the Government develop a counter-extremism strategy addressing modern challenges like the online world and community engagement?
Minister reply
The Online Safety Act 2023 will come into force soon, and we are committed to consulting communities on any upcoming strategies. The work is done across government with MHCLG as a key partner.
Chris Murray
Lab
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
Question
What steps is the Home Office taking to restrict access to knives and weaponry for those with extreme views?
Minister reply
Stricter age verification checks and a ban on doorstep drops are announced, set to be included in the Crime and Policing Bill. This mandates two-step ID submission for online knife sales.
James Cleverly
Con
Braintree
Question
Why is it that when communities complain about two-tier policing under this Government, they are branded far-right extremists?
Minister reply
Admires and respects the work of police forces. Those who seek to progress a narrative of two-tier policing do no favours to our police.
Oliver Ryan
Lab/Co-op
Burnley
Question
As interesting as it sounds, I have no idea what a “manosphere” is. The only real question that the Security Minister needs to answer is what action the Government are taking to ensure this kind of disgraceful, politically motivated leak to a former Tory adviser cannot happen again, especially on issues of national security.
Minister reply
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his helpful point. It is standard procedure in circumstances such as these that the Cabinet Secretary orders a leak inquiry, and that would be the right way to proceed under these circumstances.
Robbie Moore
Con
Keighley and Ilkley
Question
In Keighley, we have seen how labelling legitimate concerns around grooming gangs as far-right has distorted conversations. It is concerning to see this report written by Home Office officials using similar language, calling grooming gangs an “alleged” problem and framing this issue through the lens of the far right rather than the eyes of victims. Does the Minister agree with the language used in the report around grooming gangs?
Minister reply
The hon. Member has been consistent in raising his concerns in this particular area. I hope he will understand that I was clear earlier that many documents are produced across Government as part of commission work that are not implemented and do not constitute Government policy.
Mike Tapp
Lab
Dover and Deal
Question
If the Conservatives now consider it okay for public servants to leak documents relating to national security, I hope they will not object if we see leaks on matters relating to their time in charge, such as the risks arising from Russian donors to the Tory party.
Minister reply
All leaks are wrong. But let me take this opportunity to say that I am actually very proud of the civil servants in the Home Office who work extremely hard day in, day out to keep our country safe from a diverse range of threats.
South Devon
Question
The horrendous events in Southport show that people who do not fit the profile of Islamist or far-right extremism can still present serious risk. Does the Minister agree that there is a real danger in the promotion of misogyny and opposition to feminism online, which sees one woman murdered almost every three days in the UK?
Minister reply
I am grateful to the hon. Lady for her point. She makes an incredibly important point, and hopefully she will know and understand how seriously this Government take those issues.
Rachel Taylor
Lab
North Warwickshire and Bedworth
Question
The Minister has successfully exposed the reports about the leak as nonsense. But there are serious issues here, including around how we respond to the rising level of youth violence and extremism and the increasing availability of online material that fuels that obsession with violence and death. Will he tell us how the intelligence services are approaching this challenge?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend raises an important point. The Prime Minister and the Home Secretary have both recently referred to this, including during their statements on 21 February.
Bernard Jenkin
Con
Harwich and North Essex
Question
May I echo the Minister’s point that we should be grateful to those civil servants who are working night and day to protect us from terrorist threats? But does this document not demonstrate that a large body of opinion has completely lost its way on how we deal with extremism and terrorist threats?
Minister reply
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, as always, for his observations. Fundamentally, this must be about the threat. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure that we have the appropriate level of resource in the right place at the right time.
Mark Ferguson
Lab
Gateshead Central and Whickham
Question
We should remember that since this report was commissioned, we have seen the brutal murders in Southport and the riots that came after them. Clearly, we are living in a time of rising and worrying extremism. Does the Security Minister therefore agree that Members on all sides of this House should be working together to deal with extremism?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend makes an important point. I hope the House knows that it is always my default setting—if you want to put it that way—to try to work collaboratively with Members across this House.
Pete Wishart
SNP
Perth and Kinross-shire
Question
We have to tread very carefully when we enter into this territory. The leaking of this report has already raised alarm bells with a number of different groups, and has given the right another opportunity to spread division and further disinformation. What reassurances can the Minister give campaign groups that they will not be included in future plans?
Minister reply
I am happy to give the hon. Gentleman an assurance that this Government will always approach these matters in a level-headed and consensual way.
Desmond Swayne
Con
New Forest West
Question
The repudiation of the contents of this report is a step back from thought crime, but the danger remains of two steps towards it. Is it not outrageous when individuals are harassed by the police when they have not broken the law?
Minister reply
The right hon. Gentleman is right in the sense that, of course, the police should and will be guided by the law. As an experienced Member, I am sure he will have worked very closely with the police over many years. My experience of working closely with the police is that they make the right judgments for the right reasons, but where there are issues that require further attention, the Government will of course look at those matters.
John Slinger
Lab
Rugby
Question
It seems that advice to Ministers on national security issues has been leaked to a former Tory special adviser. Does he agree that this sets a dangerous precedent and may encourage more disgrunted individuals to commit politically motivated leaks?
Minister reply
As I hope I have made crystal clear, I am always happy to come to this House to debate and discuss matters relating to national security. I will do that whenever the House wishes me to do so, but on this particular occasion—as I think I have also been crystal clear about—this leak is about something that does not represent Government policy.
Iqbal Mohamed
Ind
Dewsbury and Batley
Question
Prevent unfairly associates certain ethnic minorities and religious groups with extremism, and the programme’s vague definition of extremism has led to inconsistent implementation. What steps are the Government taking to address discrimination in the Prevent programme?
Minister reply
The hon. Member is right to say that there is no place for extremism in this country—of course that is the case—but I do not agree with his characterisation of the Prevent programme. That programme consists of some extremely dedicated and hard-working public servants, but the hon. Member will know that the Home Secretary has announced the appointment of an interim Prevent commissioner, Lord Anderson.
Mark Pritchard
Con
The Wrekin
Question
Is the Security Minister satisfied that the current division of labour between counter-terrorism policing and the security service is understood well enough by those two organisations?
Minister reply
I am always very grateful to the right hon. Member—he speaks with real experience and authority on these matters, and he raises an important and reasonable question. Yes, I am happy to give him that assurance; I work incredibly closely with both counter-terrorism police and operational partners on a daily basis.
Lee Anderson
Reform
Ashfield
Question
If the Security Minister thinks that there is not two-tier policing in this country, then quite frankly, he needs to get out more. This report states that anybody who calls out two-tier policing is a far-right extremist and that grooming gangs are a myth.
Minister reply
The mindset that directs policy in the Home Office is what the Home Secretary and I think is in our national interest. The Home Secretary and I will use every tool and every lever at our disposal to ensure we keep the public safe.
Jim Allister
TUV
North Antrim
Question
Does he agree that terrorism in all its forms is always deserving only of punishment and repudiation, particularly by political leaders? Does he agree with comments made at IRA celebrations?
Minister reply
I hope the hon. and learned Member will understand that I do not think that it would be appropriate for me to delve into matters in Northern Ireland in the context of this response.
Nick Timothy
Con
West Suffolk
Question
The Security Minister recently told me that it remains Government policy not to engage with the Muslim Council of Britain. Last week, a Minister attended the MCB annual leadership dinner. Did that Minister breach Government policy?
Minister reply
I clearly cannot account from the Dispatch Box for other Ministers’ activities. However, I am happy to look at the circumstances he has raised. I am happy to confirm to him that Government policy has not changed, and if there are specific points I need to come back to him on, I am very happy to do so.
Shockat Adam
Ind
Leicester South
Question
Extreme misogyny associated with far-right ideology is a major factor in extremism. Will the Minister agree that our obsession with focusing solely on Islamism has left repeated Governments blindsided to real threats facing us from elsewhere?
Minister reply
The hon. Member is right to say that extreme misogyny is, frankly, a disgusting blight on our country. That is why this Government made a manifesto commitment to halve the levels of violence against women and girls.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
Will the revival of non-crime hate incidents come with a substantial increase in police funding, and if so, where will that come from?
Minister reply
We are committed to ensuring that our police forces have the resources they need to protect people. We continue to work closely with all relevant partners to ensure that we can address these issues effectively.
Government Response
Government Response
In our manifesto, the Government committed to redoubling efforts to counter extremism. A number of strands of activity have been established, including the appointment of an interim Prevent commissioner and plans to introduce youth diversion orders. The leaked documents were not current or new government policy; there are no plans to expand the definition of extremism. Islamist extremism and far-right extremism remain our primary concerns. We will continue to drive work to counter these threats, as set out by the Home Secretary.
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