12 November 2025 – Prevent Watch welcomes the publication of the Bingham report and approaches its findings with cautious optimism.
The Commission’s conclusions confirm what Prevent Watch has long evidenced through over a decade of frontline casework and in our submissions to the Commission: Prevent is failing.
The Prevent strategy relies on unproven theories of radicalisation and results in the surveillance of lawful expression, the stigmatisation of Muslims, and the referral of children and vulnerable people who pose no security risk.
Prevent Watch welcomes the report’s call for independent oversight, stronger data protection, and a rights-based approach, including statutory independence for the Prevent Commissioner and an Information Commissioner’s audit of data handling.
While the Commission proposes moving Prevent into a locally led, multi-agency safeguarding model, Prevent Watch is concerned that such recommendations could repackage securitisation under a new guise.
The report’s call to reconsider the Prevent duty altogether if the safeguarding model proves successful echoes the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’s call to suspend Prevent and consider reparations.
However, the Commission stops short of recommending an end to Prevent, despite overwhelming evidence of its harms. This hesitation highlights how entrenched Prevent has become within public policy.
The report’s findings resonate strongly with what we have documented in our casework: that Prevent’s pre-criminal logic has blurred the boundaries of safeguarding, replacing trust with suspicion.
Prevent Watch therefore continues to advocate for the withdrawal of Prevent, particularly from educational and healthcare settings which must remain safe environments rather than extensions of security and surveillance systems.
Dr Layla Aitlhadj, Director of Prevent Watch, said:
“We remain cautiously optimistic about this latest report into Prevent. Our experience tells us that the devil is in the detail of how the recommendations will work on the ground.”
“We urge caution that this report does not become an additional step towards a more expansive and vague pre-criminal regime. Real change means moving beyond Prevent altogether.”
“We will continue to support those impacted by Prevent and advocate for a healthy society that builds trust, upholds rights, and genuinely keeps people safe.”
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About Prevent Watch: Prevent Watch is the UK’s specialist organisation dedicated to scrutinising the Prevent duty and its impact on communities, particularly children and young people. For over ten years, Prevent Watch has provided a free helpline, casework, and research, supporting over 800 cases and working closely with NGOs, academics, and legal professionals across the UK.
