Home secretary to reject call to widen extremism definition

The UK government is set to reject internal recommendations that aimed to broaden the definition of extremism to include potentially violent environmental activists, the far-left, conspiracy theorists, and those with prejudiced views against women. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper disagrees with the core findings of a rapid “sprint” report she commissioned last year and will direct the government to continue focusing on combating Islamist and far-right extremism.

This comes after parts of the report were leaked to the Policy Exchange think tank, which criticized the recommendations. A Home Office spokesperson stated that the government is “considering the various next steps that may arise from the report.” The spokesperson also noted that “the counter-extremism sprint was designed to take a comprehensive look at the challenges we face in our country and to lay the foundations for new approaches to tackling extremism, so that we can stop people being drawn to hateful ideologies.” This includes addressing the most prominent Islamist and far-right ideologies of today.

In July 2024, Cooper tasked Home Office officials with conducting a rapid review of the UK's counter-extremism measures. This review followed widespread unrest across the UK after the murders of three young girls in Southport. The review was tasked with developing a new counter-extremism strategy to address online and offline threats from Islamist and far-right sources, as well as broader extremism.

According to Policy Exchange, leaked portions of the report suggested that the government's counter-extremism strategy should shift its focus from "ideology" to "concerning behaviors." These behaviors include violence against women, spreading disinformation and conspiracy theories, an obsession with graphic violence, and participation in online subcultures known as “manospheres” – which promote misogyny and anti-feminism. Policy Exchange also noted that the report acknowledged many who exhibit such behaviors would not be considered extremists.

Policy Exchange did not publicly release the leaked version of the Home Office report, but it published its own assessment, which heavily quoted the document. The government's current strategy, known as “Contest,” is ideologically agnostic. However, counter-extremism officials focus most of their efforts on tackling Islamist and right-wing extremism, which are considered the most prominent threats facing the UK. MI5 Director General Ken McCallum stated in October that 75% of the UK's counter-terrorism work is directed at Islamist threats, and 25% at far-right extremists.

The report urged expanding the definition of extremism to encompass the following in addition to Islamists and the far-right: extreme misogyny, "Khalistan" extremism supporting an independent Sikh state, Indian nationalist extremism, environmental extremism, left-wing, anarchist and single-issue extremism (LASI), an obsession with violence, and conspiracy theories. The Home Office review found that claims of double-standard enforcement, where two groups are treated differently after similar behavior, are an example of a right-wing extremist narrative infiltrating mainstream debate.

Policy Exchange authors stated that the review was “heading in the wrong direction” when releasing the Home Office findings. Former journalist and government advisor Andrew Gilligan, along with Policy Exchange’s head of security and extremism Paul Stott, said: “The purpose of counter-extremism and counter-terrorism is to defend the security of the state, democratic values and institutions against those whose beliefs and actions intentionally threaten them. These threats are primarily from those with ideological or political motivation, primarily Islamism, but also far-right and other forms of extremism.”

The report's recommendations “risk overwhelming already stretched” security services, while redefining extremism “threatens free speech,” the authors stated. They argued that the focus of counter-extremism should remain on ideological and political extremism that poses the most serious threat to national security.