Counter-terrorism should not just focus on Muslims - Corbyn

The Government's Prevent strategy should be broadened and focus on all communities to stop Muslims feeling singled out, Jeremy Corbyn has suggested.

The Houses of Parliament from the south side of Westminster Bridge, four days after the March 22 terror attack. Picture: AFP

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The Labour leader said the counter-terrorism strategy is “often counter-productive” and casts “suspicion” over the whole Muslim community in the UK.

Meanwhile, Mr Corbyn insisted that Labour is ready for an early general election should Prime Minister Theresa May decide to pursue one.

Speaking to ITV’s Peston On Sunday programme in the wake of Wednesday’s London terror attack, Mr Corbyn suggested the Government’s deradicalisation programme needed to be reformed.

He said: “I talk to people in the Muslim community, I talk to people in mosques, I talk to people in churches, I talk to people that go to synagogues, all kinds of different faiths and different groups.

“I think what Prevent has often done is seen to target the Muslim community, not anybody else, looks to say there is a kind of suspicion over the whole community and it’s actually often counter-productive.”

He continued: “Deal with the issue of far right extremism within our society, deal with the issue of racism in our society, deal with the issues of discrimination within our society, deal with the issues of the perceptions of stop and search within our society, above all be inclusive of people and what Prevent does, it says ‘hang on, let’s look at only the Muslim community’.”

When pushed on exactly what he believed needed to change, he said: “I’m saying broaden it into an agenda of inclusion.”

“Focus it on all communities,” he said.

On the possibility of an early general election being called by Mrs May, Mr Corbyn said Labour is ready and would not block a Government bid to repeal the Fixed-term Parliament Act which would allow a poll to take place before 2020.

He said: “We are developing our policies but clearly if an election is called we can bring all that forward and we are ready, yes.”

He added: “It wouldn’t be just us actually because it (repealing the Fixed-term Parliament Act) requires two thirds of all MPs to vote for it.

“We would not block it, of course not, because if that’s what is on offer, I don’t know if that’s in her mind or not.

“She certainly hasn’t discussed it with me.”