Downing Street is facing a backlash from Tory MPs and peers over a broader definition of extremism in response to what Rishi Sunak has called the threat of “mob rule”.
Communities Secretary Michael Gove is expected to unveil plans next week that will allow the government, universities and local authorities to cut ties with groups deemed “extremist”.
Organizations such as the Muslim Council of Britain and protest groups such as Action for Palestine could be subject to moves to prevent groups from providing funding or accessing venues if they are seen to promote ideologies that undermine “British values”.
But right-wing Conservative MP Miriam Cates and high-profile right-wing peer Lord Frost both opposed it because they feared the move could harm anti-abortion groups, social conservative causes and advocates and opponents of abortion. Transgender rights.
“Any attempt to define extremism or fundamental British values is extremely dangerous because one person’s extremism is another person’s sincerely held and legitimate belief,” Kates told the Guardian.
“A clear example is that I often call trans rights activists extremists because they believe that a man can be a woman just because he says he is a woman, which gives him the right to enter women-only spaces, but equally , I’ve also been called an extremist for believing that there are only two biological sexes and that you can’t change your gender.”
“These are debates that we should be able to have legitimately in society. We should be able to call each other extremists, but that also means these views shouldn’t be banned,” said the Conservative MP, one of the new Tory leaders. One said.
Kates said she would raise her concerns with the government and other MPs, a move that also raised the possibility of an unusual alliance between those who may be divided on other issues but are united by their opposition to the proposals. sex.
Boris Johnson’s chief Brexit negotiator Frost said on the A broader definition of extremism.”
“What we need is proper enforcement of our laws against things like inciting violence,” Frost added.
The proposals follow a speech outside Downing Street on Friday in which Sunak claimed extremist groups in the UK were “trying to divide us”.
In a statement issued hours after George Galloway won the Rochdale by-election, the Prime Minister said: “You cannot be part of our civic life if your agenda is to destroy it.”
The speech contained no details of the new policy, other than a pledge that the government would “double down” its support for preventive counter-terrorism programmes, require universities to cease extremist activity on campus and take action against extremists entering the UK.
Ministers are also considering proposals to ban MPs and MPs from groups such as the Palestinian Solidarity Movement (PSC), Extinction Rebellion and Stop Oil.
The plan, proposed by the government’s political violence adviser John Woodcock, said mainstream political leaders should tell their representatives to adopt a “zero tolerance approach” to groups that use disruptive tactics or fail to stop “hate” at marches.
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