Home Office to consult on plan affecting owners of concert halls and shopping centres The owners and operators of businesses and public spaces such as concert halls, shopping centres and parks will be legally bound to protect such venues from terrorism under a new statutory duty proposed by the government. The so-called “protect duty” reflects proposals put forward by the family of Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester Arena bombing attack in 2017. Home Office officials are to launch a consultation on legally forcing organisations to increase physical security at venues and train staff to respond to terrorist attacks, as well as putting in place incident response plans – and how failure to comply would be enforced. Source: UK venues could face legal duty to provide protection from terrorism | Politics | The Guardian

Exclusive: leaked document shows Prevent strategy is more about monitoring extremists than safeguarding the vulnerable, campaigners say Teachers, doctors and other public-sector workers could unwittingly spark counter-terrorism inquiries when they seek advice about the government’s controversial Prevent strategy, sensitive documents seen by the Guardian reveal. A heavily redacted copy of the official policy framework for Prevent, the strategy designed to catch those at risk of committing terrorist violence, was released to the human rights group Liberty under the Freedom of Information Act and shared with the Guardian. The guidance, marked “Official, sensitive”, states that when public sector workers, who are legally bound to report concerns, contact Prevent staff for advice, “this may result in a referral” to the anti-radicalisation programme. Source: Revealed: how teachers could unwittingly trigger counter-terror inquiries | UK news | The Guardian

Leadership candidate says anti-extremism programme has alienated Britain’s Muslims Rebecca Long-Bailey has vowed to make it Labour policy to scrap the anti-extremism programme Prevent if she is elected to replace Jeremy Corbyn as party leader. The shadow business secretary said she wanted to ban the scheme and then conduct a review aimed at setting up a new government-funded system that involves Muslim leaders, in an effort to stop the “alienation” of Britain’s Muslim communities. Her suggestion goes significantly further than the 2019 Labour manifesto, which stated the party wanted to review Prevent. Source: Rebecca Long-Bailey vows to make it Labour policy to scrap Prevent | Politics | The Guardian

MP Patrick Grady has written to the Home Secretary, questioning the football club’s inclusion in the document alongside far-right and extremist groups such as Scottish Dawn and Britain First. Glasgow football fans have hit out after the club they support was included in a counter-terrorism guide circulated by police. FC St Pauli were included in a Counter Terrorism Policing document sent to teachers, medical staff and other public sector workers by Police Scotland under the UK-wide Prevent strategy, it emerged last month. The Bundesliga II team, based in Hamburg, has built a cult following worldwide since the 1980s for its pro-refugee and anti-fascist values. Source: Glasgow St Pauli fans demand club’s removal from police counter-terrorism guide – Glasgow Live

A former minister in the Conservative Party has accused the government of ‘hypocrisy’ after its refusal to adopt a definition of Islamophobia drawn up by an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). Baroness Sayeeda Warsi who was also a former co-chair, said the party’s stance on anti-Muslim hatred was not as strong or principled compared to the measures it had taken against anti-Semitism. Lady Warsi challenged ministers at question time in the House of Lords to recognise ‘the irony and the hypocrisy of the Government’s position in relation to Islamophobia’ as opposed to the principled stand the Conservative Party had taken when it came to allegations of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.   Source: Sayeeda Warsi accuses government of ‘hypocrisy’ over Islamophobia | Metro News