The UK has suffered repeated terrorist attacks in recent years. At least one of the perpetrators was on the radar of Prevent, the UK government’s strategy to stop people from carrying out or supporting acts of terrorism. Prevent plays a key part in keeping the UK safe from terrorist atrocities. Those facts may seem contradictory, but all of the above can be true at the same time. Prevent is the safeguarding programme for dealing with individuals who exhibit signs of becoming involved in terrorist activity. It focuses on all forms of terrorism, but the two most prominent threats currently facing the...

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William Shawcross was this week appointed as the Independent Reviewer of Prevent. The Prevent review, that aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism, was announced in January 2019 by then security minister Ben Wallace. It was a concession granted by Theresa May’s government to some of Prevent’s critics in order to ensure parliamentary support for its Counter-terrorism and Border Security Bill. Shawcross is a smart appointment to take up this task. Here are three reasons why. Firstly, Shawcross recognises the threat posed by terrorism and has done more than most to bring attention to the challenges it poses to liberal...

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