Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to David Cameron’s speech on extremism today, said:

“When we are seeing awful cases of young British citizens and entire families being drawn into extremism or travelling to join ISIL, the Prime Minister is right to highlight the causes of radicalisation and the importance of tackling both non-violent and violent extremism.

"But in addition to the vital work the police are doing, the Government still needs to do more to help community led organisations prevent extremism and radicalisation in the first place. The Prevent programme isn’t up to the scale of the problem and needs a major overhaul. 

"The number of areas included in the Prevent programme has been reduced from 93 to 23 - yet so many communities are affected by this so it should be urgently increased. Community-led programmes still lack enough support, even though there are many faith groups, voluntary organisations and families who want to do more. Teachers need more training. And we also need a stronger counter-narrative, online and offline, which busts the dangerous myths propagated by extremists. 

"Everyone has a responsibility to ensure that our country promotes the pluralistic values we are rightly proud of, if extremism is to be defeated.”