Anti-extremism drive could damage free speech and religious freedom, police chief warns

Greater Manchester chief constable Sir Peter Fahy has warned that the government’s proposed crackdown on extremism could risk undermining British values by damaging free speech and religious freedom.

Fahy told the Guardian: “There is a concern that efforts to control extremist narratives will limit free speech and backfire if we don’t get the balance right. The efforts to control extremism and limit protest by those caught by too wide a definition may undermine the very rights and British values you seek to protect.”

His warning comes as the government has announced a string of new anti-extremism measures, including a major drive against ‘entryism’ in the public sector and proposed rules to ban suspected extremists from working with children.

Fahy’s concerns mimic those of the Ramadan Foundation and the Muslim Council of Britain, who fear the strategies may be counterproductive, leading to British Muslims feeling increasingly alienated.

Fahy added: “There is a danger that the new laws on extremism alienates non-violent Muslims because of the existing level of mistrust and feeling of stigmatisation. A lot of Muslims feel that there is a constant anti-Muslim narrative in the media.”

Although feeling sympathetic towards what the government was trying to achieve, Fahy said he wanted to see a consultation period to iron out potential problems and avoid a ‘them and us’ narrative in Britain.