Rishi Sunak announced in his pre-election campaign that he would use Prevent – the government’s counter-extremism strategy – against those who “vilified” Britain has attracted much derision.
But Liz Truss’ response was interesting. She thought it was all a bit “thin” and a restatement of what was already government policy.
She is right. For those who think this is a sign of worrying authoritarianism to come, it is a wake-up call about what is already in place.
The issue is not to seek an “equal opportunities” Prevent – one applied to the right-wing as well as to supposed “Islamists” – but to understand how Prevent undermines the rights of everyone.
It is also important to understand how Prevent (and wider counter-terrorism legislation) generates a moral panic about children and young people.
Read more here: Rishi Sunak’s Prevent proposals are truly Orwellian | Middle East Eye
