Gove's new definitions of "extremism" do NOT apply to gender critical campaigners or trans activists,

[IwantToRetire]

As said in the title, despite some trying to suggest they would, Gove's new guidelines are not applicable to gender critical campaigners, trans activists, or environment protest groups.

Not sure that there is any discussion to be had, but thought it worth heading a thread with this info because there have been posts on threads saying this would / could happen.

Not sure that Gove would want to be cross questioned by either Kemi Badenoch or Suella Braverman should he have attempted it!

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2024/mar/14/michael-gove-extremism-definition-video

Do the new guidelines apply to lunatics who think the Good Friday Agreement is ' treason' , eg Michael Gove ?

There's an article in Spiked on this, Gove's proposals, some would argue only affect a few groups. But that's how it starts, that's how it always starts.

https://www.spiked-online.com/2024/03/15/hope-not-hate-sees-extremism-everywhere/

Hope Not Hate seem obsessed with KJK, still recycling the same thin gruel to associate her with the far right.

I reckon it's a good rule of thumb that new legislation is seldom required or desirable, when there are plenty of existing laws that aren't properly enforced. But, of course, it's "being seen to be doing something", which, as Jim Hacker knew, is the most important thing in politics.

In case anyone thought that what I posted last night was in support of the Gove proposals they weren't.

I was just saying, which makes the whole thing even more stupid is it is written as a law to tell the Government how to behave.

It is totally bonkers. It is morally corrupt performative nonsense.

Some Tories (and maybe others) seem to have taken Brexit as an indiciation that we are all little Englanders (using that as not only can i not speak for other countries within the UK but I think those who dream up this sort of nonsense are overtly "English") who want to return to some sort of mythical 50s England.

Some are outright Islamaphobes but many are so embedded English that they are outrages that what they perceive as "other" communities dont think like they do, and worse dont genuflect as say I will blindly follow what you say.

If anything this current group of Tories are the complete antithesis of what are meant to be British values. ie condem someone without due process and say the only way to overturn is to go through the lengthy and expensive Judicial Review.

Also it is about Government saying if you disagree with us then you are a criminal. And worse still is that despite a tokenist inclusion of some extreme right wing groups ministers it is MPs and Ministers who have been whipping up extremism.

But as a PP said, the problem is how this will be used in the future once Labour gets in. Based on how they try to control that narrative in the Labour Party this could lead to any Jewish person who opposes Zionism could be labelled anti semitic, and of course any one saying sex is a biological reality, demonised and banned. Labour have shown how willing they are to have a top down approach to correct think.

On one level what has been proposed is so hopelessly thought out you just want to laugh. But unfortunately if it is kept it opens the door in the future for really undemocratic processes against any who doesn't conform to the ideas of a tiny group of people.

I'm generally not in favour of new laws where there are already effective one in place.

I do think there is something around the idea that quasi-governmental bodies shouldn't be doing things like taking advice from extremist groups. With lobbying being now a very powerful way to wield influence, you also get these groups which are not directly controlled by the democratic processes being attacked.

If there are groups that should not be allowed to do that, it probably needs to be done in a way that is accountable rather than just what people decide seems right.