Alarm as extremism definition is unveiled

Ministers and civil servants will be banned from talking to or funding organisations that undermine “the UK’s system of liberal parliamentary democracy” under a new defi nition of extremism criticised by the government’s terror watchdog and Muslim community groups.

- Rajeev Syal, Ben Quinn, Dan Boffey

Michael Gove, the communities secretary, will tell MPs today offi cials should consider whether a group maintains “public confi dence in government” before working with it. Groups that would , in eff ect, be cancelled by ministers for falling foul of the new defi nition would be named in the coming weeks, government sources said. Any group labelled extremist will have no appeals process, it is understood. They will be expected to challenge a ministerial decision in the courts.

The definition, which will be distributed across government and Whitehall, will say: “Extremism is the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance, that aims to : 1 negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms of others; or 2 undermine, overturn or replace the UK’s system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights; or 3 intentionally create a permissive environment for others to achieve the results in 1 or 2.”

The previous guidelines, published in 2011, said individuals or groups were defi ned as extremist only if they showed “vocal or active opposition to British fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs”.