Sunak vows to focus on Islamist extremism in shake-up of 'failing' UK Prevent programme

Rishi Sunak promised on Wednesday to reform what he called a failing anti-terrorism programme by ordering a greater focus on Islamist extremism, in his latest pitch to members in the Tory leadership race.

Mr Sunak's campaign said the much-criticised Prevent programme was focusing too much on far-right extremists and others with muddled ideologies, rather than the Islamist extremists it said were “far and away” the greatest threat.

If elected as Britain's next prime minister, Mr Sunak would reform Prevent so that “the profile of cases in the programme broadly reflects the terror threat posed to the UK,” his campaign said, without explaining how.

Mr Sunak, who is battling Foreign Secretary Liz Truss for the top job, said he would expand the definition of extremism to cover those who “vilify the United Kingdom”, raising eyebrows among critics who suggested he was encroaching on freedom of speech.

Allies of Mr Sunak insisted that only those with an “extreme hatred of our country”, and not those who object to the policies of the government of the day, would be given a red flag.

READ MORE : https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/europe/2022/08/03/sunak-vows-focus-on-islamist-extremism-in-shake-up-of-failing-uk-prevent-programme/