Yvette Cooper to reject call to widen extremism definition

Leaked sections of the report, published by Policy Exchange, recommend the government’s counter-extremism strategy shift focus to “behaviours of concern” rather than “ideologies”.

Behaviours of concern include violence against women, spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories, fascination with gore or involvement in the online subculture called the “manosphere” – which promotes misogyny and opposition to feminism.

According to Policy Exchange, the report admits many who display such behaviours would not count as extremist.

Policy Exchange has not made public the leaked version of the Home Office report, but published its own assessment which quoted extensively from the document.

The government’s current strategy, known as Contest,, external is “ideologically agnostic”.

But counter-extremist officers focus most their efforts tackling Islamism and right-wing extremism – the two most dominant threats to the UK.

MI5 Director Ken McCallum said in October that UK counter-terror, external efforts deal 75% with Islamist threats and 25% with far-right extremists.

The report urges expanding extremism’s definition to cover, alongside Islamists and extreme right-wing:

The Home Office review found claims of two-tier policing, where two groups are allegedly treated differently after similar behaviour, were a right-wing extremist narrative leaking into mainstream debates.