Culture Secretary orders crackdown on hate preachers

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has announced a crackdown on hate preachers at mosques and Islamic centres as part of the government’s new efforts to combat antisemitism.

While, in  further measures to counter Jew-hate, thousands of teachers and university staff will receive training from the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) on how to identify antisemitism and harassment under plans announced by the Education Secretary.

Jewish News – who first told of Keir Starmer’s determination to counter the rise of antisemtism last week after he was heavily criticised following the Manchester synagogue atrocity –  can reveal that the government is also establishing a new Antisemitism Working Group to advise on effective responses.

Under new laws being drafted by the Culture Secretary, anyone convicted of a hate crime will be barred from holding senior positions at charitable organisations.

The Charity Commission will be given greater powers to punish religious leaders who use their positions to promote antisemitism or hatred against any faith group or race.

Nandy told the Sunday Telegraph: “We have seen too many cases where extremists have tried to exploit charities to spread hatred and division. That is why we will ensure the Charity Commission has the powers to act.”

She added:”There can be no place for hate in our charity sector.”

In common with other religions, many mosques and Islamic Centres seek charitable status to manage their affairs.

Last week, it emerged that the mosque attended by the Manchester synagogue attacker had previously been reported to the Charity Commission.

Following last week’s Manchester synagogue attack, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson wrote to vice chancellors, urging them to take “practical and proportionate steps” to protect Jewish students from harassment, while upholding lawful free speech and the right to peaceful protest on campus.

The group will work closely with police to protect communities from hate crime and will provide the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant with £18 million per year, delivered by the Community Security Trust, to safeguard Jewish communities across the UK.

Phillipson said: “Antisemitism is a poison that must be torn out from our schools, colleges, and universities by its roots. I will not allow hatred to deter students from their education. Lawful protest must be respected – but there is no place for harassment or intimidation on our campuses.

“One instance of antisemitic abuse is one too many, so I’m clear: the buck stops with universities when it comes to ridding their campuses of hate—and they have my full backing to use their powers to do so.”

UJS is set to begin delivering 600 training sessions within weeks.

Under new, stricter requirements introduced in August, universities must have clear policies to prevent and address harassment of all kinds. These include robust reporting mechanisms, appropriate support, and comprehensive training for students and staff.

The government has made clear that while institutions must support lawful protest, this does not extend to harassment, intimidation, or incitement to violence. Universities must manage protests to ensure all students can participate fully in university life.

Thousands of teachers would be trained to teach young people how to “challenge misinformation online” through the £7 million funding package, the Government added.

Universities must manage protests in a way that allows all students to participate fully in campus life, which could involve moving repeated demonstrations that are “intrusive or disruptive”, the DfE said.

Phillipson is expected to meet shortly with university leaders, the Office for Students, Universities UK, the police and faith community organisations for a high-level roundtable on campus cohesion.

The talks will aim to ensure “universities are taking proportionate and effective action to keep all students safe and supported”.

The Cabinet minister has written to vice-chancellors urging them to take “practical and proportionate steps” to protect Jewish students from harassment, while continuing to uphold the right to peaceful protest and lawful free speech on campus, the DfE said.

It follows a warning from the higher education watchdog that universities could face action if Jewish students were not protected from harassment, after several institutions saw pro-Palestine protests earlier this week.

Arif Ahmed, director of free speech at the Office for Students, said the regulator would be prepared to respond if it believed universities were not upholding their duties.

University leaders had warned students planning protests on October 7, which marked the two-year anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel, to think carefully about their actions.

Protesters said it was necessary to demonstrate to bring attention to the suffering in Gaza, where some 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to the enclave’s terrorist-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians or combatants.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the timing of the protests was “un-British” and showed “little respect for others”.

It comes after two men were killed in a terror attack launched by Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester on October 2.

Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, both died in the atrocity which unfolded on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Phillipson said: “Antisemitism is a poison that must be torn out from our schools, colleges and universities by its roots: I will not allow hatred to deter students from their education.

“Lawful protest must be respected – but there is no place for harassment or intimidation on our campuses.

“One instance of antisemitic abuse is one too many, so I’m clear: the buck stops with universities when it comes to ridding their campuses of hate – and they have my full backing to use their powers to do so.”

Last Wednesday, Jewish News revealed how the PM had been left stung by criticism over the government’s failure to combat antisemitism, after the Yom Kippur shul attack.EXCLUSIVE: Government launching ‘comprehensive action plan’ to tackle rampant UK antisemitism