ALEXANDER MELEAGROU-HITCHENS 

The Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) fund - a project set up as part of the CONTEST counter-terrorism strategy to fund groups that will prevent extremism at its root - is facing the axe.

According to the Guardian:

The government's £60m "preventing violent extremism" programme is to be dismantled after a widespread loss of confidence in it within Muslim communities...

An ambitious and noble venture, Prevent's ideas were perhaps too new and untested to see any real success in the near future.  Paul Goodman, former shadow communities minister notes:

I'm sorry that some good projects will go.  However, it's the right decision overall, and I doubt if there'll be an outcry about this particular economy, since the main losers will be the consultants and advisers.  As for the projects worth keeping, well, there's always private, voluntary and independent sector money.  Government encourages its use elsewhere.  It should also do it in this case.

More analysis on the history and background of Prevent, including how its ideas can be taken forward, will appear on this blog soon.

focusonislamis@standpointmag.co.uk

@focusonislamism