Queen's Speech: David Cameron promises crackdown on extremists

A crackdown on hate preachers will be announced in the Queen’s Speech this week as the government steps up its efforts to tackle the “poisonous narrative” of extremism.

For the first time, sweeping new laws will ban hate speakers from working with children and other vulnerable groups, in the same way that paedophiles are vetted to stop them being given jobs in schools, The Telegraph reported on Sunday.

The national criminal records checking service will be reformed so that the records of individuals with convictions for terrorism, or other clear connections to extremism, will be disclosed to education officials, councils, and other employers. 

The plan – to be included in a new Counter-extremism Bill - is designed to stop radicals infiltrating schools, colleges, charities and care homes, where they could brainwash vulnerable young people or disabled adults into violence.

It will form part of a Queen’s Speech that David Cameron hopes will prove the government is pressing ahead with his agenda of reforms, despite splits in the party over the European Union referendum.

New laws expected in Wednesday’s speech include reforms to higher education, allowing top universities to charge higher fees; the promise of a British Bill of Rights to curb the influence of the European Court of Human Rights; and measures to promote driverless cars, commercial drones and the building of a new “space port” to launch satellites and passenger craft into space.

The centerpiece of the package is expected to be the plan to counter the rise of Islamist extremism, which Mr Cameron has described as “the struggle of our generation”.

Announcing the government’s counter-extremism strategy plan last year, he said: “We know that extremism is really a symptom; ideology is the root cause – but the stakes are rising and that demands a new approach. So we have a choice - do we choose to turn a blind eye or do we choose to get out there and make the case for our British values.

“A key part of this new approach is going further to protect children and vulnerable people from the risk of radicalisation by empowering parents and public institutions with all the advice, tools and practical support they need"

Source: MENA