Community Engagement Principles and Extremism Definition

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Khan of Burnley (Lab)]

My Lords, the noble and right reverend Lord makes a strong point about ensuring that we provide more education about and awareness of the importance of democracy. Democracy unfortunately is also being attacked by malign actors and foreign interference, as we have seen evidence of in recent weeks and even in previous elections. I reassure the noble and right reverend Lord that I am having those conversations with the Department for Education and the Minister responsible to ensure that we can look at focusing education and getting more understanding of democracy, so our citizens understand and appreciate the historical struggle for democracy and celebrate our system. Although there are challenges, it is a wonderful system and we need to ensure that people engage with it.

[Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con)]

My Lords, just a small point first: countering extremism always has sat in the Home Office. I should know, as I was the first Minister for Countering Extremism in the Home Office. Linked to that, a lot of the extremism is imported from other parts of the world and it is important to stop it at source. Can the Minister assure this House that there will be an integrated approach to ensure that the foreign threat is also dealt with?