Andy Burnham pledges to review Manchester’s counter-terror strategy

As part of a review of Greater Manchester’s counter-terror strategy following the Manchester Arena bombing, Andy Burnham has vowed to review the Prevent programme. According to Burnham, the programme is to be revised and replaced by a ‘distinctive’ Greater Manchester approach that commands the confidence of the region’s Muslim communities. It came as Burnham issued an independent review following the Manchester Arena bombing, which killed 22 and injured more than 250 others on 22 May 2017. The review will examine the regions ‘preparedness and response’ to the attack. It will begin in September and be guided by an independent panel of experts. Burnham said: “Prevent, as it’s currently configured, will only take you so far. There has been a feeling of disengagement because of the way it goes about its work. We’re saying that can’t be allowed to carry on. It will only succeed if there’s true community buy-in at grassroots level, and the information comes that way.” He added: “One of the most difficult aspects of this attack was the fact that the perpetrator grew up here. In my view, tackling extremism has got to begin with families and communities. We all need to ask what more we can do to identify those that pose a risk to others. “While the national Prevent programme has achieved some success, there is a feeling that it has become more and more top-down in recent years and has lost community buy-in. If it is to succeed, we need to restore that grassroots involvement.”