ANALYSIS: The recent public disorder in the UK that has left more than 100 police officers injured and communities in towns and cities badly damaged has been labelled as ‘far-right thuggery’ by the Government and ‘far-right riots’ in the media; but Professor Chris Allen of the University of Leicester warns that labelling such protests as ‘far right’ could be inaccurate, misleading, and potentially counter-productive.

ANALYSIS: Last week the UK Government unveiled its “narrower and more precise” definition of extremism; but Dr Chris Allen, Associate Professor and Extremism Hub Lead at the University of Leicester, warns that the definition’s non-statutory footing, the absence of any reference to the Prevent strategy, and the risk that labelling of extremists could be by ministerial decree are all adding to the confusion and concern around the new definition.

OPINION: Last month’s violent confrontations between groups of Hindu and Muslim men in Leicester seem to take many in the English city (including police) by surprise; however, Professor Chris Allen of the University of Leicester believes that rushing through a proposed review into the violence risks a failure to recognise that neither Muslim nor Hindu communities are one-dimensional or singular, and that not all the problems they experience are based in religion.

OPINION: Both the Commission for Countering Extremism and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services have put forward new terminology to describe extremist organisations and activities in the UK; but Professor Chris Allen of the University of Leicester believes the new definitions could create more problems than they solve.