Mandatory Prevent course tells public sector workers that ‘cultural nationalism’ – including beliefs about mass migration threats – requires deradicalisation intervention
MILLIONS of Britons who express concerns about mass migration could find themselves reported to the Government’s anti-terror programme under controversial new training that labels such views as a “terrorist ideology”.
In an explosive revelation that has sparked outrage across the political spectrum, official Government documents show that the Prevent deradicalisation scheme now classifies worries about immigration levels as potential extremism requiring intervention.
The bombshell disclosure comes as the mandatory training course – taken by teachers, NHS staff, and other public sector workers – explicitly identifies “cultural nationalism” as a dangerous ideology that should trigger referrals to counter-terrorism authorities.
‘Western Culture Under Threat’
The course defines this as encompassing the conviction that “Western culture is under threat from mass migration and a lack of integration by certain ethnic and cultural groups.
The classification appears in Prevent’s official “refresher awareness” course hosted on gov.uk, which states that “cultural nationalism” represents one of the most common “sub-categories of extreme Right-wing terrorist ideologies”, alongside white supremacism and white/ethno-nationalism.
The training, which is a statutory requirement for hundreds of thousands of public servants, places mainstream political debate about immigration alongside the most dangerous forms of extremism – despite polling consistently showing immigration concerns rank among voters’ top priorities.
Top Politicians Could Be Flagged
Critics have warned that under these broad definitions, even senior political figures could theoretically fall within the scope of Prevent referrals.
Lord Young suggested Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, could fall within scope for previously warning that “excessive, uncontrolled migration threatens to cannibalise the compassion of the British public.
Even Sir Keir Starmer might be included, Lord Young claimed, citing the Prime Minister’s recent statement that without fair immigration rules, “we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.
Others potentially at risk include academic-turned-GB News broadcaster Matthew Goodwin and bestselling author Douglas Murray, campaigners said.
‘Total Fiasco’ Programme
The revelations come as Prevent faces mounting criticism for its failures, with the programme having spectacularly failed to identify genuine threats while potentially targeting legitimate political discourse.
The Prevent programme failed to stop Axel Rudakubana, the Southport killer, despite him being referred to it on three separate occasions.
Sir William Shawcross’s report two years ago delivered damning criticism of Prevent, revealing that it had wrongly funnelled money to extremist organisations and repeatedly failed to identify people who went on to carry out terrorist attacks.
Expert Outrage
Leading counter-terrorism experts have condemned the training’s approach to defining extremism.
Professor Ian Acheson, a former government adviser on extremism, said: “We are now beginning to see the consequences of a referral mechanism built on training like this which skews away from suspicion by conduct to the mere possession of beliefs that are perfectly legitimate but regarded by Prevent policy wonks as ‘problematic.’
A former government adviser called the “cultural nationalism” definition “pretty shoddy.
‘Serious, Long-lasting Consequences’
The implications for those referred to Prevent are severe and potentially life-changing.
Lord Young warned that anyone referred to Prevent could face “serious, long-lasting consequences” for their education, employment and public reputation, with personal details retained on databases for at least six years.
This means that expressing mainstream political views about immigration – views shared by millions of voters – could result in individuals being flagged in government databases as potential extremists, with all the professional and personal ramifications that entails.
Three Categories of ‘Terror’
The course, which is a statutory requirement for those working in education, hospitals, prisons and other public services, sets out three broad categories of terrorist ideologies, Islamist terrorist ideologies, extreme right-wing ideologies and a third category which now covers left-wing ideologies of socialism and communism, anarchist and single-issue ideologies.
The training materials reveal an increasingly broad definition of what constitutes extremist ideology, with critics arguing it has strayed far from its original counter-terrorism remit.
Home Office Response
A Home Office spokesman said: “Prevent is not about restricting debate or free speech, but about protecting those susceptible to radicalisation.
However, critics argue that by classifying mainstream political concerns as potential terrorism indicators, the programme is doing exactly what it claims not to do – stifling legitimate democratic debate.
What This Means For You
The training is mandatory for:
- Teachers and education staff
- NHS workers
- Prison officers
- Local authority employees
- Other public sector workers
These workers are now being instructed that concerns about immigration levels – a view held by millions of ordinary Britons – could be a sign of terrorist radicalisation requiring official intervention.
The revelations raise profound questions about freedom of speech, democratic debate, and the increasing scope of counter-terrorism measures in everyday life. As one critic put it, when expressing concern about immigration policy can get you referred to a deradicalisation programme, something has gone seriously wrong with our approach to preventing terrorism.
Image credit: Keir Starmer 2023 by Chris McAndrew, licensed under CC BY 3.0.
