Good morning. Michael Gove has unveiled a widely briefed definition of extremism that seems to have irritated just about everyone.
Under the new, non-statutory definition, extremism is broadly anyone who “intentionally creates a permissive environment for others” for the “promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance”. Organisations that fall under this definition will be banned from government funding and engagement.
Many organisations and individuals have said the new definition is too broad and leaves the government open to legal action and risks adding to the problem of radicalisation by further alienating groups and individuals. Others have said that, despite its non-statutory nature, the new guidance will have a “chilling effect” on free speech and will create more division and mistrust.
Civil rights groups, Muslim community groups, Jonathan Hall KC of the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation and Tory MPs (including former home secretary, Dame Priti Patel and those on the hard-right flank of the party such as Miriam Cates) have all criticised the new definition. That’s quite a motley crew.
Nevertheless, Gove has gone gung ho with this new project, adding that the definition will be accompanied by a “new centre of excellence” (which sounds like something out of Severance) in his department. All of this, Gove insists, is to counter extremism, though counter-terror and extremism experts have said it risks doing the opposite.
To understand what this new definition changes, I spoke with Sunder Katwala, the director of thinktank British Future. That’s right after the headlines.
Five big stories
Israel-Gaza | Chuck Schumer, the US Senate leader and a top ally of Joe Biden, has called for Israel to hold new elections. In remarks from the Senate floor, Schumer said he believed Benjamin Netanyahu had “lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel”.
Conservatives | The Conservative party has been urged to decline or return a reported further £5m donation made by Frank Hester, whose remarks about Diane Abbott have been widely condemned as racist and misogynistic.
Immigration and asylum | Major flaws in a huge Home Office immigration database have resulted in more than 76,000 people being listed with incorrect names, photographs or immigration status.
Health | NHS hospitals have been hit by a UK-wide shortage of a life-saving drug used to keep alive patients who are at risk of dying because they cannot breathe without medical intervention. Doctors have been told to ration their use of the liquid form of salbutamol, which plays a vital role in treating people suffering from severe asthma attacks or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Internet safety | Violent online content is now “unavoidable” for children in the UK, with many first exposed to it when they are still in primary school, research from media watchdog Ofcom has found. Every single British child interviewed for the study had watched violent material on the internet.
In depth: ‘You can have a useful policy or a campaign dividing line – you can’t have both’
Instead of creating clarity, Gove’s new definition of extremism has only generated more confusion, which has forced him to lay out what it does not entail in several interviews. The new definition, the communities secretary says, does not ban organisations. It is not a new criminal offence, nor will it have any role in policing demonstrations. It also does not compel police officers, universities or non-governmental publicly funded bodies to use this definition. So, now that we have cleared up what it doesn’t do, the question remains about what this new definition is supposed to achieve.
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Gove’s new definition
The government stated that impartial officials will be conducting a rigorous assessment in the next few weeks to determine who falls under the auspices of this new definition. Organisations that will be evaluated include the far-right groups British National Socialist Movement and Patriotic Alternative, as well as the Muslim Association of Britain, Muslim Engagement and Development (Mend) and Cage. Names of other groups that have been leaked which are also allegedly under assessment are Friends of Al-Aqsa, 5Pillars and Palestine Action.
The new definition has caused such a commotion because it moves the focus away from action to ideology, which critics have said is a slippery slope. It also sends a broader signal to the world. Putting any organisation on a “government blacklist” will inevitably affect an organisation or individual’s place in society: a point made by the Tory’s own former policing minister, Kit Malthouse, who aired his misgivings when it became clear that there is no appeals body. And though there is no obligation on local authorities or universities or NHS trusts to move forward with this definition, it will probably have a chilling effect on the types of organisations with which they interact.
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The politics of it all
The government has been dialling up its rhetoric on extremism for a number of weeks now. Rishi Sunak warned in an impromptu press conference earlier this month that there were “forces here at home trying to tear us apart” and that democracy had “become a target”. The prime minister and Gove have criticised the largely peaceful pro-Palestinian protests in London, with the communities secretary saying that there were extremist organisations behind some of the demonstrations, though he provided no evidence of this. Only a handful of people have been arrested on the marches but the criticism from senior Conservatives have led to fears among civil liberties groups that the new definition is a further attempt to limit protest and free speech when they do not chime with the government’s position.
It may come as no surprise that during an election year when the Tories are trailing Labour in the polls by up to 20 points, that they are trying to seem tough. The Conservative party wants to appear “strong on extremism”, whatever that means, but, as Sunder says: “You can either have a useful policy that will last beyond the election into parliament, or you can have a campaign dividing line, but you can’t have both of those things.”
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The fallout
The negative response to the briefings over the last few weeks have had a cooling effect on the scope of the definition and who falls under it, Sunder says. Initial reports suggested that the biggest Muslim umbrella organisation, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), could be considered “extremist” by the government. (Separately, the Ministry of Defence have recently cut ties with the MCB after a decade-long relationship to the bewilderment of the organisation’s head, Zara Mohammed, indicating that the government is also trying to distance itself from the organisation). According to Sunder, the list that the government is expected to release in the near future will be much narrower than first anticipated.
“My worry about the early briefings about the MCB is that they represent lots of groups because it’s an affiliate of local organisations. It’s a very dangerous signal to send because groups of extremists on the white far right, who consider themselves counter-extremists, could start targeting its affiliates,” Sunder says.
Sunder added that today is the fifth anniversary of the Christchurch massacre, the New Zealand terrorist attack in which a neo-Nazi killed 51 Muslims, and the international day to combat Islamophobia. It’s a poignant reminder of what happens when extremism goes unchecked. Labelling organisations as extremist that are non-violent could facilitate more division and foster more violence. “Playing politics with this could be playing with fire,” Sunder adds. “Turning down the political volume is really important.”
What else we’ve been reading
Naomi Klein takes a look at the impact of Jonathan Glazer’s powerful Oscars speech and the uneasy thoughts that his film, The Zone of Interest, provokes about the continuing violence unfolding in Gaza. Nimo Omer, Assistant Editor, First Edition
It’s humbling to read that even Jay Rayner struggles with convincing his children to eat the food he has prepared. The battle with his son to create the perfect salad is nothing short of delicious. Nazia Parveen, acting deputy newsletters editor
If you’re a vegetarian, vegan or just trying to curb your meat intake for the sake of the planet, sometimes your body becomes deficient in key vitamins and nutrients. Madeleine Aggeler explains how you can have a climate-friendly diet without cutting out protein. Nimo
She’s a muse to Beyoncé, a champion of Lego and raps about her imaginary friend – but behind the whimsy is a street-hardened MC confronting grief and depression. Ben Beaumont-Thomas speaks with Tierra Whack (pictured), America’s most creative rapper. Nazia
What happens to child influencers who work for their parents once they’re all grown up? Fortesa Latifi finds out for Cosmopolitan. Nimo
Sport
Football | Liverpool are into the Europa League quarter-final thanks to a 6-1 goal-fest win against Sparta Prague. Elsewhere, West Ham roared past Freiburg with a 5-0 win taking them through to the last eight of the European competition, while Rangers were knocked out thanks to a decisive goal from Alexandre Rafa Silva for Benfica.
Tennis | Defending BNP Paribas Open champion Carlos Alcaraz and sixth seed Alexander Zverev were forced off the court for nearly two hours by a swarm of bees during their quarter-final match in Indian Wells. Alcaraz went on to beat win match and will face Italian Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.
Horse racing | Sir Alex Ferguson compared the Cheltenham festival to the FA Cup final as the former Manchester United manager turned racehorse owner saw two of his rides claim victory on the third day of action at Prestbury Park.
The front pages
The Guardian leads with “Tories urged to give back ‘further £5m from Hester’”. The i has “No 10 anxiety grows as angry Tories question Sunak authority” while the Financial Times reports “Working hours for Commons hit record low under Sunak”.
The Daily Mail headlines “Russia Attacks Shapps’ RAF Jet By Jamming GPS”. The Mirror carries an exclusive with “Cops sued over show sergeant”.
The Times reports “20,000 a month off work with poor mental health”. And finally the Telegraph leads with “Fears for patients in NHS net zero drive”.
Something for the weekend
Our critics’ roundup of the best things to watch, read and listen to right now
TV
Royal Kill List
Royal Kill List manages to be a thrilling adventure story while still conveying the seismic, country-changing scale of the events. The three-narrator device allows pauses for reflection and assimilation of everything being presented. It induces that rarest sensation – of being genuinely edified and entertained at the same time. It is a super fun, star-studded thrill ride which tells the story of Charles II as he lusts for bloody revenge. Prepare to be educated, creeped out and incredibly entertained. Lucy Mangan
Music
Justin Timberlake: Everything I Thought It Was
If the album were 10 tracks rather than 18 – many of which could in turn lose two minutes from their runtime – Timberlake’s musical redemption might be more of a home run. Invariably it sags. The wan Selfish was an odd choice for a comeback single. Flame and Drown are two equally boring shades of wounded. What Lovers Do is generic, lasciviously slippery Timbaland (with the unforgettably priapic image that Timberlake is “ready to go all the time”). The wearily hopeful closer Conditions ends with him tediously warbling “you are love”, presumably to his wife Jessica Biel, for sticking with him despite his shortcomings. Laura Snapes.
Film
Monster
Monster (pictured above) isn’t about what it initially appears to be; the narrative peels away the diversionary misapprehensions until it arrives at its emotional kernel of truth, and the film offers us hope, not despair. The performances from Sakura Ando and Eita Nagayama have a calm frankness and integrity. As for the story itself, it is a little contrived with a thicket of mystery that perhaps didn’t need to be so dense. But this is a film created with a great moral intelligence and humanity. Peter Bradshaw
Podcast
53 Minutes
All episodes widely available
Remember a time when football was less slick and cash-driven? Dara Ó Briain and Josh Widdicombe do, and in their new podcast they tell the story of Ali Dia, who made one appearance for Southampton back in 1996. Was Dia a hustler or a dreamer? Did he trick his way into a Premier League game? It’s an incredible tale of a “scallywag” who came from nowhere and returned to obscurity, told with humour and understanding. Hannah Verdier
Today in Focus
What do the Tories consider extreme?
Michael Gove is rewriting the government’s definition of ‘extremism’ but his actions have drawn criticism from across the political spectrum. Columnist Rafael Behr reports.
Cartoon of the day | Ben Jennings
The Upside
A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad
An innovative African project is persuading farmers to plant biodiverse forest gardens that feed the family, protect the soil and expand tree cover. Could Trees for the Future (TREES) be a rare example of a mass reforestation campaign that actually works? The United Nations Environment Programme certainly thinks so and last month awarded it the status of World Restoration Flagship.
Since it was founded in 2015, the programme has planted tens of millions of trees each year in nine countries from Senegal and Mali to Tanzania and Kenya. In less than 10 years, it has reportedly restored a combined area of more than 41,000 hectares, which is about seven times the size of Manhattan.
Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday
Bored at work?
And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
