-
Work at City Hall to run throughout 2018
-
Consulting with experts, local authorities and communities from
early 2018 to drive forward urgent improvements across
London
-
Working to strengthen communities, safeguard the
vulnerable and stop the spread of violent extremist ideologies
with a London-specific tool-kit
The Mayor of London, today (Wednesday 20
December) unveils an ambitious new work programme designed to
improve and renew efforts to tackle violent extremism ' from both
the far-right to the so-called Islamic State/Daesh - in the
capital.
The programme, which will begin at City Hall early next year and
run throughout 2018, will aim to empower Londoners to speak out
against extremism to help keep London safe.
Sadiq is determined to do everything in his power to improve work
that safeguards the vulnerable and roots out and stops the people
who are spreading vile ideologies and promoting terror.
London continues to be the most diverse and inclusive city in the
world, something of which the Mayor and Londoners are extremely
proud. Yet across the city some communities remain marginalised,
disengaged and unempowered, allowing the spread of hateful and
violent ideologies with tragic consequences.
This year, the UK has seen an unprecedented shift in the threat
of terrorism. London has suffered four tragic terrorist attacks
at Westminster, London Bridge, Finsbury Park and Parsons Green,
and many more have been thwarted.
The new work on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) will involve
an in-depth consultation with experts, local authorities,
stakeholders, women's groups and all of the capital's communities
to identify a London-specific tool-kit of operational
improvements that can be implemented as soon as possible to help
counter hate crime and violent extremism.
The Mayor's CVE programme will have three core objectives:
working to strengthen London's minority and marginalised
communities, to safeguard the vulnerable and to stop the spread
of extremist ideologies. It will work with specialist community
engagement experts to ensure a full and frank assessment of
existing counter-extremism programmes and the work of the
government's Prevent agenda in the capital.
The Mayor is determined that this new work will help to drive
forward a more strategic and tailored approach to this extremely
challenging and sensitive issue, and make a real difference in
preventing violent extremism and keeping all Londoners safe.
The Mayor of London, , said: 'London is one of the
most diverse and open cities in the world. But, as the experts
have warned, we can't escape the fact that the capital faces a
growing threat from violent extremism. This year the UK has seen
an unprecedented shift in the threat of terrorism and in London
we have suffered attacks at Westminster, London Bridge, Finsbury
Park and Parsons Green, and many more have been thwarted.
'I am determined to do everything in my power to improve the work
that safeguards the vulnerable and roots out and stops the people
who are spreading vile ideologies and promoting terror with such
violent and tragic consequences.
'This means engaging with Londoners to see what more we can all
do to strengthen, integrate and empower communities to speak out
and challenge hate crime and extremist views. It means protecting
vulnerable people who are at risk of extremism and sharing best
practice. And it means a more strategic and tailored approach
that can make a real difference in preventing extremism across
the capital.'
Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, the head of National Counter
Terrorism Policing, said: "Whilst it is less visible than this
year's tragic events, I see evidence of determined efforts to
target the vulnerable in our communities. The Mayor's
determination to bring extra weight to London's efforts to
prevent the spread of violent extremist ideologies is very
welcome."
The Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) programme follows on from
the Mayor's work to improve London's preparedness to respond to
terrorism. One of his first acts in office was to launch an
independent review of London's preparedness to deal with a major
terrorist incident, tackling the physical threat of
terrorism. This Review, carried out by Lord Toby Harris,
identified areas where improvements could be made, such as
strengthening security along the Thames, making better use of
CCTV in the midst of emergencies and making clearer the role of
the Mayor of London in COBRA meetings. Two thirds of these
recommendations are already in place ' and more are in train.
The Mayor's CVE work will be supported with a £400,000 investment
from the Mayor, and similar work is underway in Manchester
following the attack on Manchester Arena in May.
Work at City Hall will begin in January 2018 to provide initial
advice to the London CONTEST Board for improvements in Summer
2018.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- Countering Violent Extremism work will involve the Deputy
Mayor for Policing and Crime and the Deputy Mayor for Social
Integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement as well as
staff from across City Hall.
- The CVE work will be informed by leading experts,
stakeholders and community group with three specialist expert
advisers on strengthening communities, safeguarding the
vulnerable and stopping the spread of extremist ideologies.
- The CVE programme will work with the London Hate Crime Panel
and the London CONTEST Board.
- The London Hate Crime Panel was established by the Mayor's
Office for Policing and Crime and meets twice a year, working
with partners to implement the Hate Crime Strategy.
- The London CONTEST Board is chaired by the Deputy Mayor for
Policing and Crime, Sophie Linden, and aims to provide a
strategic lead in addressing London's threat, risks and
vulnerabilities in relation to counter-terrorism. The board looks
across the CONTEST strategy, encompassing Protect, Prepare,
Pursue and Prevent. The minutes of the meetings so far this year
are available here:https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/mayors-office-policing-and-crime-mopac/governance-and-decision-making/london-contest#acc-i-48136
- The Government's Prevent Agenda is one of four work strands
which make up the government's counter-terrorism strategy '
CONTEST. The aim of CONTEST is to reduce the risk to the UK and
its interests overseas from terrorism.
- The purpose of the Mayor's CVE group is to provide advice for
operational improvements, therefore any early findings and quick
deliverables will be conveyed at the earliest opportunity to the
London CONTEST Board during the course of the work.
