The Gaza conflict has taken over political debate in the United Kingdom. Both the government and lawmakers have warned of rising attacks and threats in recent months from Islamist and far-right groups, prompting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to deliver an unusually public statement outside 10 Downing Street. The aim was to show resolve against any behavior that incites violence or endangers British values. Since then, the government has been shaping a package of measures to curb radicalization, including proposals that are causing doubts even within the Conservative Party itself.
One of the main steps is expanding the definition of extremism to cover all organizations that promote or foster intolerance, hatred, and violence or jeopardize the liberal system and democratic rights in the United Kingdom. The measure, overseen by Secretary of State Michael Gove, would bar any government body or public representative from engaging with or funding groups that fall under this broader scope. It will include individuals or organizations that dismiss the risk of extremism even if they do not actively promote it. In the coming days, the government is expected to publish a list of organizations that, while legal, it deems extremist and to establish a center of excellence against extremism within the Department for Communities to analyze each case.
Limitations on rights
The lack of a clear criterion for defining extremism has alarmed even some Conservative members who fear that anti-abortion or LGBT rights groups could be inadvertently affected by the new policy. One of the sharpest critics is MP Mariam Cates, a hardliner who argues that government plans risk a slippery slope toward restricting fundamental rights. She notes that existing offenses such as incitement to violence and praise of terrorism already cover these conduct issues. In a post across social media, Cates warned that in a free, democratic society with a plurality of opinions, it would be reckless and dangerous to separate extremism from violence and terrorism. She added that defining extremism gives the state power to curb freedom of expression, religious liberty, press freedom, and association. The government plans to create a new body to monitor attitudes and discourses within the new definition and to alert officials before taking heavier action.
Peaceful organizations
There is also a risk that peaceful groups like the Palestine Solidarity Campaign PSC, which has been accused of promoting antisemitic rhetoric at Gaza war protests in the United Kingdom, could fall under the new definition. That could limit their access to public resources and hinder parliamentarians who support the Palestinian cause from actively engaging in their campaigns. Major pro-Palestinian organizations have urged a fair and uniform standard that applies to all political and religious groups. The Muslim Council of Britain has lamented that Sunak’s rhetoric not only disparaged thousands of peace protesters but also carried ill-defined cautions about Islamists and far-right extremism.
Despite the criticism, the government remains committed to measures aimed at curbing attacks on Britain’s multi-faith democracy. Along with broadening the extremism definition, the plan includes banning entry to the United Kingdom for extremist preachers and limiting radical discourse on campuses through counter-terrorism programs. The goal is to counter dangerous and offensive narratives and to curb the rising number of attacks against Jewish and Muslim communities since last October’s escalation between Israel and Hamas.