Theresa May: ‘we will not make the same mistakes’ on terror
Home Secretary Theresa May has launched the revised anti-terror Prevent strategy, promising tighter controls on anti-terror funds, targeting of “non-violent extremism”, and promoting integration.
The Home Secretary said the government had inherited a “flawed programme” that allowed the possibility of public funding by central and local authorities to reach extremist groups.
She announced there’ll be much more rigorous checks and audits to organisations inconsistent with “British values”.
“At times funding even found its way to the sorts of extremist organisations that themselves pose a threat to our society and to our security. Not under this Government,” she said
“Let me be clear – we will not fund or work with organisations that do not subscribe to the core values of our society,” she continued.
Theresa May added that funding would be removed from organisations that “do not support the values of democracy, human rights, equality before the law, participation in society”.
Labour accused the Home Secretary of political “point-scoring” and said budget cuts would make it more difficult for Whitehall to deal with extremists.
The new £46 million strategy – which will receive £17 million less than the previous policy created in 2007 – will also attempt to tackle “non-violent extremism”, targetting those at risk of radicalisation.
“In a world of scarce resources, it is clear that Prevent work must be targeted against those forms of terrorism which pose the greatest risk to our national security. Currently, the greatest threat comes from al Qaida, and those they inspire,” she said.
She added: “The majority of Prevent resources and efforts will therefore be devoted to stopping people from joining or supporting al Qaida, its affiliates, or like-minded groups.”
“But Prevent must also recognise and tackle the insidious impact of non-violent extremism, which can create an atmosphere conducive to terrorism and can popularise views which terrorists exploit,” she continued.
As part of the targeting of non-violent extremism, May said she’ll work closely with internet providers to come up with ways of taking down extremist websites.
Lord Carlile of Berriew, the independent reviewer of the Prevent review, described the plans as “a template for challenging the extremist ideas and terrorist actions which seek to undermine the rule of law and fundamental British political values and institutions”.
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