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@docrussjackson
Mar 2, 2023 • 32 tweets • 11 min read • Read on X
#THREAD

Yesterday, at a 'counter-extremism' conference organised by the Govt appointed Commissioner for Countering Extremism, Robin Simcox, Suella Braverman predictably blamed 'political correctness' for 'Islamist terrorism', gaining a culture war front page in Murdoch's Times.

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This is a #THREAD about how the Govt's divisive, misleading, & dangerously irresponsible rhetoric has been carefully choreographed over the last three years, by a Tory Govt which works hand-in-hand with a network of opaquely funded ideologically extreme right-wing 'think tanks'.
It centres on the background, ideology, & appointment of Robin Simcox, & William Shawcross's recently published highly partisan #PREVENT review.

Imho, important information about Simcox has been deliberately concealed from voters by the Govt & the billionaire-owned press. Image
In November 2021, Priti Patel said it was "an honour" to give a keynote speech on security at the Koch-funded ideologically extreme Heritage Foundation think tank in the US, which rejects the scientific consensus on climate change, in which she focused on Hamas & antisemitism. Image
The Heritage Foundation is an influential US neoliberal free-market fundamentalist think tank that represents the interests of the 0.1%.

Charles WL Hill: "given that the Heritage Foundation has a political agenda, its work should be viewed with caution."
Prior to his appointment, Robin Simcox worked at the UK's neo-con Henry Jackson Society, before becoming "Margaret Thatcher Fellow" at the Heritage Foundation.

An anti-Net Zero borderline far-right Koch stooge now heads the UK's Commission on Countering Extremism. Image
Facing accusations of downplaying Islamophobia, & known for his reactionary views, the "temporary" contract for the role of UK head of the 'Commission on Countering Extremism', appointed in March 2021, was extended for the Heritage Foundation's hard-right extremist Robin Simcox.
Ignored by the UK news media, Priti Patel made Simcox permanent head of the Commission for Countering Extremism. She had appointed him on an "interim" basis as a way to ease him into the job without going through a competitive process or having his CV scrutinised too closely.
Simcox was a "war on terror" enthusiast who claimed that "rendition, drones, detention without trial" are all “extremely effective" against terrorism - rendition means sending suspects to foreign dictatorships for torture: people who support torture are embedded in the UK Govt.
At the Heritage Foundation, Simcox argued that making "White Supremacy" the subject of a "countering violent extremism policy" was driven by "political correctness" - regardless of the dramatic increase in terrorist acts by white racists in the UK & US. Image
At the Heritage Foundation, Simcox argued that making "White Supremacy" the subject of a "countering violent extremism policy" was driven by "political correctness" - despite the dramatic increase in terrorist acts by white racists in the UK & US.

In September 2019, Simcox urged new PM Boris Johnson to monitor groups such as @XRebellionUK
& Unite Against Fascism @uaf as part of the Govt's "counter-extremism agenda", while also advising him to "push back" against claims of obvious Tory Islamophobia. theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
Simcox said Javid had “unhelpfully tried to force all his fellow Conservative leadership candidates to commit to undertaking an internal review", & warned of the “political extremism of anarchism, eco-socialism & radical anti-capitalist environmentalism”. heritage.org/terrorism/comm…
Back in January 2021, the Govt controversially appointed William Shawcross as Chair of an "independent" review of PREVENT.

There is a pattern of the UK Govt appointing extremist partisan allies to oversee so-called "independent" reviews & Commissions.

At the time, a coalition of 17 leading & respected human rights & community groups said they would boycott the UK Govt’s partisan review of the anti-radicalisation programme, PREVENT, in protest at the inappropriate appointment of Shawcross as its chair.
amnesty.org/en/latest/pres…
As a director of the Henry Jackson Society, Shawcross had expressed explicitly Islamophobic views, saying:

“Europe & Islam is one of the greatest, most terrifying problems of our future. I think all European countries have vastly, very quickly growing Islamic populations.”
The appointment of Shawcross made it crystal clear that the UK Govt had - & has - zero interest in conducting an objective & impartial PREVENT review, nor in engaging meaningfully with communities affected by it.

Its purpose is to downplay far-right terrorism & scapegoat Islam.
The PREVENT review was designed to whitewash the strategy & downplay far-right rhetoric & terrorism, without interrogating its harmful impacts on human rights & basic freedoms. It's an example of how the UK Govt is facilitating dangerous Orbanist antidemocratic authoritarianism. Image
Murdoch's & the UK Govt's "anti-woke" far-right rhetoric has consequences.

Days after the #BuffaloMassShooting in May, where a far-right white supremacist shot 11 black & two white victims in a “racially motivated hate crime”, leaks from the PREVENT review started to appear.

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Entirely predictably, & echoing Simcox's pre-existing views, the partisan PREVENT Review dutifully claimed what Patel & Braverman wanted it to: 'The Govt’s counter-terrorism programme has been too focused on right-wing extremism & should now crack down on Islamist extremism'.
The UK Govt is normalising far-right extremist rhetoric. The review misleadingly claims individuals are targeted for expressing 'mainstream right-wing views' because the definition of neo-Nazism had 'expanded too widely', while the focus on Islamist extremism has been too narrow.
Sir Peter Fahy, ex-Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police & former police PREVENT lead, said leaked extracts suggested Shawcross’s findings were an unwarranted attempt to “politicise counter-terrorism policing” & it was “dangerous to play off one ideology against another”.
In March 2021, Fahy criticised the antidemocratic, authoritarian, anti-British, & anti-freedom 'Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Bill', which he argued was a politically-motivated reaction to #BlackLivesMatter & the @XRebellionUK protests.

theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/m…
Since Brexit, the UK Govt has been brazen about bringing in Koch-funded extremists from a global network of free-market extremist 'think tanks' to shape Govt policy, generate divisive culture war headlines in the right-wing media, & push Britain further right than ever before. Image
Instead of tackling far-right violence & far-right terrorism, the UK Government has fuelled it with grotesque scapegoating "invasion" rhetoric reminiscent of the Nazis, while introducing draconian anti-environmentalist & anti-union legislation to protect the 1% from the 99%. Image
Grotesque far-right rhetoric - including the use of antisemetic tropes & conspiracy theories, as well as the dangerously irresponsible "invasion" rhetoric - has been shamelessly normalised & mobilised by the current UK Government & the right-wing press.

This 'shameless normalisation' of far-right radicalisation rhetoric is now a very real, present, & dangerous threat to Britain.

That the UK Government has deliberately both downplayed &
manufactured it, is beyond reprehensible.
A #thread revealing how the catastrophic & thankfully brief premiership of Liz Truss was a direct consequence of the immense power & influence of the global network of opaquely funded free-market 'think tanks' working to replace democracy with oligarchy.

Britain’s *former top counter-terrorism officer* has said parts of William Shawcross's partisan government-backed #PREVENT review appear to be driven by right-wing ideology & are “insulting” to professionals fighting to stop attacks on Britain’s streets.

theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/f…
As stated earlier, in September 2019, Simcox urged PM Boris Johnson to monitor groups such as climate activists @XRebellionUK as part of the Govt's "counter-extremism agenda".

Just imagine the press, Govt, & Simcox's reaction had climate activists used an actual bomb in the UK.

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@XRebellionUK And here we are...
@XRebellionUK FFS where are Britain's investigative journalists?
standard.co.uk/news/london/lo…

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Access his original (25 February) article here:

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