Counter extremism strategies are failing thanks to the government’s ‘slow and unfocused’ approach

Editorial: A major report has found that far-right figures pose as protectors of women to target Muslims. Until we understand how extremist views arise and are encouraged, there is no hope of dealing with them effectively

The story told in the report from the Commission for Countering Extremism is profoundly disturbing. That far-right activists should “deliberately distort the truth to persuade their audience to adopt discriminatory and hateful attitudes”, as we report here, is a scar on our society and the commission deserves all the credit for exposing it.

Indeed, the commission deserves credit for its work more generally. Its three more recent reports prior to this study highlight different aspects of the problem: both the ways in which extremism is eating into normal, decent behaviour, and how we might counter this corrosive influence. One was on the violent, extremist tactics of the far left. The second was on meditative dialogue as a way of offsetting extremism. The third was an overview of the far right.

Part of the value of the commission is that it does not look at terrorism as such, or indeed how terrorism might be tackled. That is the responsibility of other parts of the government machine. Terrorism is an outward manifestation of extremism, and of course needs the most vigorous and effective response. The public rightly demands that. However, the job of the commission is to look at root causes, not outward manifestations: where extreme views start, not where they sometimes – appallingly – end up. The research it is sponsoring is a crucial first step along the path to the goal of a more harmonious society.