Anti-terrorism programme must keep focus on far right, say experts

Analysts question Home Office strategy after it emerged that a review of its Prevent programme was pushing for a focus on Islamist threats

Government advisers on extremism have openly questioned the direction of the Home Office's counter-terrorism programme after it emerged last week that a review was advocating a crackdown on Islamist extremism rather than the threat of the far right.

They questioned why the review of the Prevent strategy carried out by William Shawcross at the behest of the home secretary, Priti Patel, should refocus on Islamism at a time when Prevent referrals over the ideology have fallen to 22%, while a quarter now relate to far-right extremism.