Atkins warns against allowing extremist views to ‘percolate’ through society

Extremist views must not be allowed to “percolate through society”, a Cabinet minister has said as the Government prepared a fresh crackdown.

Ministers and officials are working on a new definition of extremism, with groups captured by the term set to be effectively blacklisted by the Government and public bodies, and cut off from public funding and engagement.

Communities Secretary Michael Gove is expected to set out the new definition in the coming week in the wake of the latest pro-Palestinian march, which saw tens of thousands of people protest in London about the suffering in Gaza.

Mr Gove warned some of the “good-hearted” people who have taken part in the series of protests since the Israel-Hamas war began could have inadvertently given credence to events organised or attended by extremists.

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins warned: “There are some people, sadly, who hold views that are contrary to the values that we hold as a country and we should not allow those views to percolate through society”.