Rudd defends Prevent strategy in ‘terror capital’
THE home secretary has labelled the government’s counter-terrorism programme, ‘Prevent’, a success on a visit to the region labelled the terrorism capital of Britain.
In a speech in Birmingham, Amber Rudd said the government would continue to support the local initiatives which have been set up to deter people from becoming radicalised from either far right or Islamist groups.
A 1,000-page report by the Henry Jackson think tank in March, called Birmingham one of the terrorist capitals of Britain.
Of 269 people convicted of Islamist terrorism offences or killed as suicide bombers in the UK between 1998 and 2015, nearly a fifth came from the West Midlands.
A total of 39 came from Birmingham, concentrated in the Hall Green and Hodge Hill constituencies, the report said. Khalid Masood, the man behind the Westminster terror attack in March in which four people were killed, including hero PC Keith Palmer, also lived in Birmingham for a period.
Ms Rudd was in Ladywood on Wednesday to receive an update on how the strategy was working from Prevent coordinator Waqar Ahmed, councillors and other figureheads.
Ms Rudd said: “We do know that Birmingham is one of the cities that has had a high level of radicalisation.
“Of course, we have seen some of that in some of the atrocities of the terrorist attacks this year but I would say it is one of the cities... there are other lems.
“That’s why I am going round, talking to people on the ground.
“I have been engaging with the local groups, with the local councillors, to see what else the government can do to support.
“I think that what we have got in Birmingham is actually very good practice. We’ve got some excellent work being done in local communities and I am going to make sure government continues to support them do that to safeguard people.
“What we are trying to do is stop families, stop the young people in particular in their families, going down a radical path.
“I don’t think that should be controversial and I am going to make sure I continue to support the great work that I have seen today.” cities as well that have prob-
I think that what we have got in Birmingham is actually very good practice Amber Rudd