Corporate report: Commission for Countering Extremism end of year report 2023 to 2024

We know extremism can pose a threat to our societies and to our values. But the horrendous terrorist attack against Israel on 7 October 2023 should remind us all just how high the stakes are.

Left unchecked, extremist ideologies can manifest in the most horrendous acts of violence imaginable. It is incumbent on all of us to speak up against such evil. I will certainly never tire of doing so, nor relax in our mission to challenge extremism across the board.

The Israel-Hamas war has energised extremists in this country. We must be vigilant in protecting against the encroachment of extremist narratives that threaten community cohesion, and we must be steadfast in our defence of democratic values.

There is much more to do beyond even this challenge. One year on, I am pleased to say that the Commission for Countering Extremism (CCE) continues to deliver on the asks made of us in the Independent Review of Prevent.

In response to recommendations made by Sir William Shawcross, the CCE rolled out training for Prevent practitioners, developed a programme to upskill civil servants’ understanding of extremist ideology, and continues to work with ministers to tackle the ideological drivers of radicalisation.

We also launched a new Prevent Standards and Compliance Unit, which will allow us to process and investigate complaints about Prevent, while increasing public trust and confidence.

We will continue to advise and scrutinise the government response as it delivers on all the recommendations made by the Independent Review of Prevent.

This year, we also published new research on the study of extremism in the UK, the radicalisation evidence base, involuntary celibate (incel) networks, and blasphemy-related extremism. Through our ongoing programme of events, we brought together experts to build our understanding of the current and future extremism landscape.