Councils will have greater flexibility to implement local anti-terrorism programmes as part of a policy repositioning led by Communities secretary, John Denham. Mr Denham announced on 28 August that councils would share an additional £7.5m to tackle ‘al-Qaeda-influenced extremism' as part of the joint CLG-Home Office Prevent programme to undermine terrorist activities across communities. Mr Denham said councils would be able to spend the cash how they wished. The CLG and Home Office have also published new guidance urging local partners not to restrict Prevent policies and programmes to Muslim groups, following critical feedback from some councils. The guidance reiterates that local anti-terror initiatives are more successful if they involve a range of communities and local partners. Mr Denham said: ‘Prevent will only be effective if we respond to constructive criticisms which have come from local authorities and community organisations actively engaged in resisting violent extremism.' Anna Turley, deputy director of the New Local Government Network, said: ‘This additional £7.5m funding and new guidance should help bring communities together, not exacerbate tensions between them.' Earlier this year, Charles Farr, director general of counter terrorism at the Home Office, told The MJ his team was looking to local government to provide strong leadership on anti-terror strategies. He said the early intervention aspects of the Prevent strategy were now ‘hard-wired into many local authorities'.
