Home Secretary pledges fresh crackdown on 'hateful beliefs' as she warns of 'fraying fabric of democracy'

18 August 2024, 07:12 | Updated: 18 August 2024, 10:59

The Home Secretary has ordered a fresh crackdown on "hateful beliefs" that she warned could fray "the very fabric of our communities and our democracy."

Yvette Cooper said she had asked officials to "map... extremist trends" to help "crack down on those pushing harmful and hateful beliefs."

She said the research would form the basis of "a new strategic approach to countering extremism".

Ms Cooper said: "For too long, Governments have failed to address the rise in extremism, both online and on our streets, and we’ve seen the number of young people radicalised online grow.

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"Hateful incitement of all kinds fractures and frays the very fabric of our communities and our democracy.

"Action against extremism has been badly hollowed out in recent years, just when it should have been needed most.

"That's why I have directed the Home Office to conduct a rapid analytical sprint on extremism, to map and monitor extremist trends, to understand the evidence about what works to disrupt and divert people away from extremist views, and to identify any gaps in existing policy which need to be addressed to crack down on those pushing harmful and hateful beliefs and violence.

"That work will underpin a new strategic approach to countering extremism from government, working closely with communities to build consensus and impetus for our plans."

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The Home Secretary had criticised the previous government for having no counter-extremism strategy since 2015, and that the lack of a comprehensive approach or practical plans was leaving communities less safe.

The new strategy aims to deliver on the Government's manifesto commitment of preventing people being drawn towards hateful ideologies.

The Home Office says it will look at the rise of both Islamist and far-right extremism in the UK, as well as wider ideological trends, including extreme misogyny or beliefs that fit into broader categories like fixation on violence.

It will also look at the causes and conduct of radicalisation of young people, including the proliferation of dangerous material online.

After the riots that broke out across England following the stabbing of three girls in Southport, a total of 460 people had appeared in magistrates' courts relating to the disorder by the end of Thursday.

At least 72 people under the age of 18 are believed to have been charged.

A number of people have also been handed charges relating to publishing material that contributed to rioting, such as publishing written material to stir up racial hatred or sending a grossly offensive message.

Explaining the strategy, safeguarding minister Jess Phillips told LBC's Ben Kentish: "This is about looking at exactly what those definitions are and doing a piece of work to fill gaps that have been growing for a very long and lots of agencies...the National Police Chiefs Council (have) concerns about the growing rise in misogynistic attitudes among young men, largely because of online content they're seeing.

"This isn't about criminalising people who are showing signs of an ideology, it is about preventing that ideology, and this piece of work the Home Secretary has announced today is about looking at the gaps".

Addressing concerns that treating misogyny as terrorism could criminalise free speech, she said: "You just use the exact same test you would with far-right extremism and Islamism, wouldn't you. The same test would have to apply.

"People can hold views about women all they like, but it's not OK anymore to ignore the massive growing threat caused by online hatred towards women and for us to ignore it because we're worried about the line rather than making sure the line is in the right place as we would do with any other extremist ideology".