Extremism adviser still in role, Downing Street confirms
Lord Walney has higlighted the role of pro-Palestine groups in extremist activity
Downing Street has said the government’s anti-extremism adviser Lord Walney remains in his role, despite reports he had been axed.
Lord Walney – the former Labour MP John Woodcock had been the government’s independent adviser on political violence and disruption since November 2020, and delivered a report highlighting extremism amongst pro-Palestine groups earlier this year.
A report by Byline Times on Tuesday claimed the peer had been sacked, but it was swiftly denied by Home Office sources.
On Wednesday at a post-PMQs briefing for Westminster journalists, a No. 10 spokesperson also said Walney remains in the role.
The spokesperson said the government were considering his recommendations of Walney’s report which found that “extreme political activists” were using violence, intimidation, incitement, law-breaking and disruption to target core elements of Britain’s democracy, including elected politicians, the free press, schools and universities.
Downing Street also confirmed the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was working on a new counter-extremism initiative called Sprint to which Walney was expected to contribute.
Walneywas the Labour MP for Barrow and Furness from 2010 until 2018, when he quit to sit as an independent MP because of his views on Jeremy Corbyn.
In his resignation letter he said Corbyn would become a “clear risk” to national security if made prime minister and criticised his response to allegations of antisemitism in the party.
He did not contest the 2019 election and was nominated for a peerage by Boris Johnson. In 2020 he was appointed as an independent adviser on political violence and disruption.
On Wednesday Walney referenced Jewish News exlusive report about pro-Hezbollah placards at display at a Palestine demo in London.
He admitted police officers “can’t be everywhere” but told the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee “there were banners on display in clear support of a proscribed terrorist organisation, Hezbollah, committed to the violent eradication of Israel, which is in clear contravention of the law, which was not picked up at the time.”
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