An independent review into a national counter-extremism strategy has 'failed to address any legitimate concerns' according to leading Prevent experts.

This week, the long-awaited assessment of the Prevent programme, which aims to stop people turning to terrorism, was published.

Led by former Charity Commission chairman William Shawcross the review found Prevent “is not doing enough to counter non-violent Islamist extremism” and “has a double standard when dealing with the extreme right-wing and Islamism”.

However, the study was described as being 'fixated by ideology, with factual errors, light on research, and poor on analysis'.

Professor John Holmwood, emeritus Professor of Sociology at Nottingham University, and Dr Layla Aitlhadj, the director and case study led at Prevent Watch, co-authored an independent study of their own into Prevent in 2022.

'The People’s Review of Prevent' (PROP) drew on hundreds of cases of people referred to the programme.

Dr Aitlhadj’s said: “Light on research, poor on analysis and heavy on anti-Muslim bias, the Shawcross Review fails in every regard. 

"For the People’s Review of Prevent, we analysed 600 cases of people referred to the programme. Shawcross based his entire report on just 6 Channel cases!

“The simple fact is Prevent does not stop terrorism and this review has, unsurprisingly, not provided any evidence to suggest otherwise. 

"Meanwhile our report provided ample evidence of the harms that Prevent has caused: from innocent children who now need counselling after their traumatic interrogations by counter-terrorism officers, to further education opportunities being withdrawn from students due to the information-sharing that occurs in Prevent cases. 

“The UK already has robust laws to deal with terrorism and would-be terrorists. The Government needs to stop wasting resources on the failed Prevent policy and instead invest it back into services that are vital for a healthy society: in social care, mental health care and education,” she continued.

Professor Holmwood’s said: “The Shawcross Review is ideologically-driven, factually erroneous and methodologically poor. 

"It is based on hearsay evidence and doesn't even evaluate internal reports produced by government departments. It’s difficult to understand what William Shawcross has been up to in the two years he has been working on this review. All it does is recalibrate Prevent without addressing any legitimate concerns."

He added: “Bizarrely, despite stressing the importance of Prevent to Britain’s security, Shawcross refrains from recommending putting it on a statutory footing with an annual independent review, which suggests he has little confidence in Prevent surviving such a process,” Prof Holmwood added.

Dr Aitlhadj and Prof. Holmwood said they will make a more detailed response to the Shawcross Review in due course. The pair are currently updating their PROP report, which is expected to be published in the Spring. 

The Home Office said it would “overhaul” Prevent in the fight against radicalisation and that the Home Secretary had “committed to delivering wholesale and rapid change” across the programme.

The Government has accepted all the recommendations made in the 188-page report.

ALSO SEE: Concerns that overhaul of Prevent will 'focus more on Muslims'