EXTREME RIGHT-WING TERRORISM STRATEGY (HOME OFFICE)
CONTEST (Counter-Terrorism Strategy)
189. In response to the 2017 terror attacks and the Operational Improvement Review (OIR), the Home Office released an updated Counter-Terrorism Strategy, CONTEST, in June 2018. CONTEST 2018 highlighted:
the growing threat from extreme right-wing terrorism, noting that these groups, including neo-Nazis, seek to exploit any anxieties around globalisation, conflict and migration and that they share a racist view that minority communities are harming the interests of a native population.[1]
190. A total of 31 departments and organisations contribute to the delivery of CONTEST.[2] The renamed Homeland Security Group (previously Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, OSCT) in the Home Office is responsible for counter-terrorism strategy and policy design and works with the Intelligence Community, CTP and local, national and civil society partners to deliver policy objectives across the '4-Ps':
- Prevent tackles intent, intervening to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism;
- Pursue tackles capability, that is, stopping terrorist attacks; and
- Protect and Prepare tackle impact, mitigating the effect of a potential terrorist attack.
Homeland Security Group also monitors the performance of the counter-terrorism system against the objectives set out in CONTEST.
191. Following the publication of the new CONTEST strategy, the UK counter-terrorism system increased their work on ERWT with a particular focus on understanding ERWT online behaviour and ERWT international links. Homeland Security Group advised the Committee that this work has been co-ordinated by the Counter-Terrorism Senior Responsible Official through the National Strategic Implementation Group for Counter Terrorism (NSIG CT), the strategic decision-making body for the counter-terrorism system across government.[3] As
- ↑ Counter-Terrorism Strategy (CONTEST), June 2018.
- ↑ The Home Secretary has responsibility for CONTEST, and the Homeland Security Group (formerly termed the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism—OSCT) leads on supporting and developing CONTEST. The following 28 departments and organisations contribute to CONTEST: Cabinet Office; Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure; Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP); Crown Prosecution Service (CPS); Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl); Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS); Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS); Department for Education (DfE); Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); Department for Transport (DFT); the devolved administrations; Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ); Government Office for Science (GO-Science); HM Treasury (HMT); Joint International Counter-Terrorism Unit (JICTU); Joint Overseas Protect and Prepare Team (JOPP); Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC); Local Authorities; Ministry of Defence (MoD); Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG); MI5; Ministry of Justice (MoJ); National Crime Agency (NCA); National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC); National Security Council (NSC); Northern Ireland Office (NIO); and Secret Intelligence Service (SIS).
- ↑ The National Strategic Implementation Group for Counter-Terrorism (NSIG CT) is the strategic decision-making body for the counter-terrorism system and represents over 20 departments, agencies and bodies. It also includes a sub-group which engages with the devolved administrations, local authorities and a wider membership of government departments.
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