In the biggest shake-up of the Prevent strategy since its launch in 2003, Priti Patel has proposed dividing England and Wales into nine regional hubs. Officials believe it will give Prevent officers better access to extremists in rural areas and allow for the rapid deployment of teams in the event of an attack. They have dedicated deradicalisation teams and receive most of the annual £45 million budget, but it leaves much of England and Wales designated as ‘non-priority areas’. Sixty-five per cent of far-Right extremists and up to three quarters of far-Left, animal rights and environmental extremists are also found in non-priority areas. ‘There has been a campaign by some groups to curtail Prevent, or even get rid of it, but these proposals mean Prevent will actually expand.

Source: Daily Mail June 27, 2020 21:03 UTC