Security minister rejects claim UK is ‘permissive environment’ for antisemitism

Britain’s security minister has rejected comments made by the Government’s independent counter-extremism adviser in which he said the UK is a “permissive environment” for antisemitism.

Tom Tugendhat said threats to any community are taken “extremely seriously”.

It comes after Robin Simcox, the Home Office’s commissioner for countering extremism, said there had been “normalisation” of both anti-Israel extremism and antisemitism and the creation of a “permissive environment”.

In an op-ed for The Times newspaper, Mr Simcox, who will give a speech later on Thursday, blamed this on a “failed policy mix of mass migration and multiculturalism”.

I'm not going to be apologetic about freedom of speech... but I will stand up and say very clearly that proscribed organisations seeking to spread terror or hate in our community should be prevented from doing so and those who champion them should be arrested

Asked about the comments, Mr Tugendhat told Times Radio: “No, I don’t agree with that. I think that the United Kingdom is a country and an environment in which we take all threats to any communities extremely seriously.

“You just have to look at the response over the last 10 days – the way the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary and I and many others have been reaching out to the Jewish community, making sure policing is appropriate… to give reassurance.

“The way in which we’ve been engaging as well with the Muslim community, some of whom are feeling also vulnerable at this time, feeling stigmatised.”

The minister also emphasised the right to freedom of expression as “absolutely fundamental” to democracy.

He drew a distinction between “perfectly legitimate” support for Palestine and promotion of Hamas, a proscribed terror group in the UK, which he said should result in arrests.

“This country champions freedom of speech and it’s absolutely right that we do because freedom of speech is… the basis in fact of every other liberty,” he said.

“I’m not going to be apologetic about freedom of speech… but I will stand up and say very clearly that proscribed organisations seeking to spread terror or hate in our community should be prevented from doing so and those who champion them should be arrested.”

The minister also disputed the suggestion that multiculturalism has failed, describing the UK as having “phenomenal success in bringing people together”.

“I have to say I live in a multicultural home. My wife is french, we speak French and English at home.

“Many people speak different languages at home, identify with different cultures, and are able to mix all of them extremely effectively.”