New counter extremism legislation included in Queen’s speech

New measures to tackle radicalisation and protect the public against extremism were announced in the Queen’s Speech on 18 May. Addressing MPs and Peers at the state opening of Parliament, the Queen said: “My government will continue to work to bring communities together and strengthen society. “Legislation will be introduced to prevent radicalisation, tackle extremism in all its forms, and promote community integration.” The new legislation will be introduced as part of the Counter-Extremism and Safeguarding Bill, which aims to ensure that law enforcement has a full range of powers to deal with extremism. Key new powers will include the capability to safeguard children from extremist adults by ‘taking powers to intervene in intensive, unregulated education settings that teach hate and drive communities apart’, as well as close loopholes so that Ofcom can continue to protect consumers who watch internet-streamed television content from outside the EU. A consultations will also be launched into introducing a new civil order regime to restrict extremist activity, as well as a consultation on powers to enable government to intervene where councils fail to tackle extremism. The speech also touched upon the forthcoming Investigatory Powers Bill, highlighting the government’s continued commitment to greater surveillance powers despite continued criticism from opposition parties, particularly the Liberal Democrats, the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee and tech firms such as Apple, who argue that the Bill lacks clarity and could compromise the privacy of British citizens. The Queen said: “My government will continue with legislation to modernise the law governing the use and oversight of investigatory powers by law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies. “Legislation will strengthen the capability and accountability of the police service in England and Wales.”