Michael Gove defends new extremism policy as controversy rages

New definition has come under fire from three former home secretaries and the Archbishop of Canterbury

Michael Gove has named a string of organisations that could be barred from government funding and meetings under a controversial new definition of extremism.

But he insisted the reform will not impact those "exercising their proper right to free speech", including gender critical campaigners, those with conservative religious beliefs, trans activists or environmental protest groups.

He named a number of Muslim organisations, which he said would be investigated over extremism fears.

These include the Muslim Association of Britain, Cage and Mend, which he said “give rise to concern for their Islamist orientation and views” and will be assessed under the new definition, he told MPs.

He also named Patriotic Alternative and the British National Socialist Movement, which he said would similarly be investigated.

The communities secretary had been forced to defend his controversial plans to name and shame new ‘extremist’ groups amid claims the policy threatens the “fabric of a civilised society”.

(Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)

His plans came under criticism from a number of Tory MPs in the Commons. Miriam Cates, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, said that the definition risked criminalising “or at least chilling the speech of very legitimate harmless views”. She raised the example of gender critical feminism, which she said she thought might be labelled as extremist under the new plan.

Sir Edward Leigh also told Mr Gove that he was “worried about this”. He defended people’s right to offend others through free speech and said that “people have the right to criticise religious people or religious views”.

Mr Gove responded saying: “I couldn’t agree more”, adding that the new definition did not intend on limit free expression of views.

Former home office minister Kit Malthouse MP said he “shared some alarm” with fellow members about the extremism definition. He said he was concerned that there was no right for a group to appeal their inclusion on the list. He also questioned Mr Gove over whether the government would refuse to engage with an MP if they decided to engage with one of the blacklisted groups.

Mr Gove said the plans were “only about government, parliament is quite rightly sovereign”.

Another former minister Robert Jenrick said that the new definition “lands in no man’s land” of neither being strong enough to tackle true extremists nor protect contrarian views.

He told the Commons: “I fear that the definition, though well-intentioned, lands in no man’s land: Not going far enough to tackle the real extremists, not doing enough to protect the non-extremists, those people who are simply expressing contrarian views who might find this definition used against them, not perhaps now, but possibly in the future.

“What reassurance can he give me and others who are concerned about that?”

Mr Gove replied: “I think it is much less likely that this definition could be misused than the preceding definition, which was looser, baggier and capable of many more interpretations than this much tighter definition.”

It has also come under fire from three former home secretaries and Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The archbishop said that the plans risk “disproportionately targeting Muslim communities” and threaten the “right to worship and peaceful protest – things that have been hard won and form the fabric of a civilised society.”

But Mr Gove said: "It's not intended to prevent people demonstrating per se, absolutely not.

"It's not a restraint on free speech. It applies only to engagement with government, because we know that there've been cases in the past where individual extremist organisations have sought to take advantage of government patronage, money and influence in order to advance their agenda.”

He said the purpose of the new definition was to make clear that goverment “will keep these organisations at arm's length so they can't benefit from access to government and its funds."

Mr Gove insisted groups would only be deemed extremist after "a patient assessment of the evidence" and if they showed "a consistent pattern of behaviour".

But he did not rule out naming specific groups when he gives a statement to the Commons on the new definition later.

Mr Gove said an expert team of civil servants advised by academics would carry out a "very rigorous process of due diligence" to decide whether a group was extremist or not, with the final signoff from either the Home Secretary and Mr Gove himself.

The blacklisted groups will be barred from funding and prevented from meeting ministers and civil servants under the plans.

Mr Gove has inisted the new definition of extremism is necessary to crack down on the “pervasiveness of extremist ideologies” that have “become increasingly clear” in the aftermath of the 7 October attack by Hamas on Israel.

Earlier this month Rishi Sunak warned the UK risked descending into “mob rule” as he warned the police must take urgent action or risk losing public confidence.At the time the prime minister pledged to do “whatever it requires to protect our democracy”.

Government officials insist that the new definition sets a “high bar” that will only capture the most concerning activities.

As well as not receiving funding or meeting with ministers, extremist groups or individuals will be barred from public appointments and from receiving honours.

The government published the extremism definition on Thursday and civil servants will now spend the next few weeks deciding which groups fit the criteria.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said the new definition was “at best vague, and at worst risks sowing even more division”.