Extremism in the UK: new definitions threaten human and civil rights
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Extremism in the UK: new definitions threaten human and civil rights
Chris Allen, University of Leicester
The UK government’s approach to dealing with extremism has been enormously controversial since its strategy designed to counter it was released in 2015.
After years of invoking the subjective idea that extremists oppose “fundamental British values”, the government’s current definition of extremism been decried as unfit for purpose, with some far right-wing groups even using it to their advantage.
The UK government currently defines extremism as, “vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs”. But this definition and its emphasis on “fundamental British values” allows the far right to lean further into nationalism and distance themselves from allegations of extremism.
Research has also shown that the definition reinforces Islamophobic tropes while...
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