Chris Philp, the perma-furious shadow home secretary, is once again up in arms over news that, amid rising concerns over anti-semitism, the chief of the Metropolitan Police had made recommendations for tackling extremism which were never implemented.
As the Met investigates a suspected arson attempt at a former synagogue, it emerged that a report by commissioner Mark Rowley and Sara Khan of the Commission for Countering Extremism examining the inadequacy of existing legislation in relation to hateful extremism had been lying apparently unopened on the government’s desk.
The report, Operating with Impunity – Hateful extremism: The need for a legal framework, demonstrated how many extremists were able to operate lawfully due to a lack of legislation designed to capture the specific activity of hateful extremism.
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“Over the decades, Britain has built a robust legal and operational counter terrorism machinery which has continually evolved in response to the changing terrorist threat. The same is certainly not the case for hateful extremism. The current situation is simply untenable,” said Rowley.
“That is why Sara and I are convinced that it is now critical for government to devise a new legal and operational framework to counter hateful extremism to strengthen our response, both online and offline. We are at a watershed moment and action is required urgently.”
This has prompted Philp, never one to duck an opportunity to get a headline, to go in studs up on Keir Starmer for not doing enough to tackle the problem.
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“How many antisemitic attacks do there need to be for Keir Starmer to wake up and listen to the threat Britain faces?” he fumed.
“Jewish families are living in fear, Jewish buildings are burning, and this prime minister responds with the same tired words every single time.”
Perhaps Philp should ask the man who might have been expected to implement the Rowley review more closely to the time it appeared. The report was published in February 2021, when the Conservatives were in power, and between October 2022 and July 2024, the policing minister, who appeared to make no attempt to implement its conclusions, was one Chris Philp.
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