A University of Liverpool researcher has made important contributions to a report launched this week (11 November 2025) from the Independent Commission on Counter Terrorism.
The Commission says that Britain's counter terrorism strategy is no longer keeping the country safe. It calls for a radical overhaul of the Prevent programme to make it part of a broader initiative dealing with violence and no longer based on a 'flawed' radicalisation model.
The Commission, chaired by the former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Sir Declan Morgan PC KC, was launched at Royal United Services Institute today. It has spent three years reviewing whether counter-terrorism measures are fit for purpose. Over 200 experts and stakeholders, including counter-terrorism practitioners, police, politicians, policymakers, research specialists, civil society and community groups have given evidence.
Sir Declan Morgan said: "The evidence we had shows that the present approach to Prevent is not fit for purpose. Prevent should be integrated into a wider, local authority-led multiagency safeguarding 'front-door' that works with communities to mainstream violence prevention work, currently processed through Prevent, into broader violence reduction strategies. We need to move away from the radicalisation model and instead concentrate our resources on individual resilience and building trust and social cohesion in neighbourhoods."
Their evidence shows that building trust in communities with local police and agencies working with community organisations is the best bulwark against terrorism. This 'big front door' approach means that Prevent becomes part of local violence reduction programmes, which can refer people to Prevent where there are concerns about terrorism.
As the government reviews its counter-terrorism policy, the Commission urges it to define terrorism so that it is no longer a catch-all.
The University of Liverpool's Dr Amal Abu-Bakare, a lecturer in the Politics of Race & Decolonial Studies, has made a valuable contribution to the Commission by providing a detailed submission in response to the Commission's call for evidence. Dr Bakare's submission, together with her published academic work, has assisted the Commission in understanding the ways in which race and processes of racialisation shape and inform counter-terrorism law, policy, and practice. The Commission references and draws on these insights in its final report.
The Commission proposes that to count as a terrorist action, serious property damage must create a significant risk to life, a serious risk to national security or the health and safety of the public, or use firearms, explosives or arson.
Sir Declan said: "Our narrower definition provides greater clarity while ensuring the government can tackle terrorism effectively."
The Independent Commission on Counter-Terrorism Law, Policy and Practice was set up by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law. The full report will be published in 2025.
