New task force to meet the threat of extremism

The key aims of the new group, set up in the wake of the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby, will include tackling extreme views in schools, charities and universities across the UK, a Downing Street spokesman said.

Another focus for the task force will be radical preachers who target potential recruits in jails, schools, colleges and mosques.

The PM and senior cabinet members including Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Home Secretary Theresa May yesterday gathered for the group’s first meeting as the two men suspected of killing Drummer Rigby, 25, appeared in court.

Michael Adebolajo, 28, of Romford, Essex, yesterday appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court charged with Drummer Rigby’s murder, while Michael Adebowale, 22, facing the same charge, appeared via videolink at the Old Bailey.

At the inaugural meeting of the new task force, the PM asked Education Secretary Michael Gove and Schools Minister David Laws to look at confronting extreme views in schools and charities, while Business Secretary Vince Cable is to monitor universities.

Mr Cameron also asked Justice Secretary Chris Grayling to look into similar issues in prisons and Faith and Communities minister Baroness Warsi to examine work in communities.

Addressing the House of Commons yesterday, the Prime Minister said: “To tackle the threat of extremism, we must understand its root causes. Those who carried out this callous and abhorrent crime sought to justify their actions by extremist ideology that perverts and warps Islam to create a culture of victimhood and justify violence. We must confront this ideology in all its forms.”

He added: “What happened on the streets of Woolwich shocked and sickened us all. It was a despicable attack on a British soldier who stood for our country and our way of life.

“And it was too a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities who give so much to our country. There’s nothing in Islam which justifies acts of terror and I welcome the spontaneous condemnation of this attack from mosques and Muslim community organisations right across our country.”

Mr Cameron said lessons had to be learned from what happened in Woolwich, adding that the Intelligence and Security Committee would investigate how the suspects were radicalised, what was known about them and whether more could have been done. He said since 2011, 5,700 items of terrorist material had been taken down from the Internet and almost 1,000 more items hosted overseas had been blocked.

The Prime Minister went on: “But it’s clear we need to do more. When young men, born and bred in this country, are radicalised and turned into killers, we have to ask some tough questions about what’s happening in our country.

“It is as if for some young people there’s a conveyor belt to radicalisation that has poisoned their minds with sick and perverted ideas. We need to dismantle this process at every stage - in schools, colleges, universities, on the internet, in our prisons, wherever it’s taking place.”

Mr Cameron said the taskforce, which will meet monthly, would look at whether mosques had enough help expelling extremists and recruiting imams who “understand Britain”.

And the Prime Minister added: “Just as we will not stand for those who pervert Islam to preach extremism, neither will we stand for groups like the English Defence League who try to demonise Islam and stoke up anti-Muslim hatred.”