Following on from his appearance before the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee yesterday, Matthew Goodwin has a piece at Comment is Free in which he emphasises the central point that he made to the MPs:

The simply reality of post-9/11 politics is that we have focused almost exclusively on tackling only one form of extremism. In the aftermath of New York and the attacks in Bali, Madrid and London, the emphasis on tackling al-Qaida marked a logical response to the priorities of national security. Today, however, the landscape has changed. We need to adopt a more holistic approach to challenging extremism and sharpen our understanding of its different branches. Most importantly, we need to overhaul the traditional view of the far right that claims this movement is nothing more than a minor political irritant.

Sir Norman Bettison, Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, also gave evidence to the Home Affairs Committee. He told them that the English Defence League’s main purpose was to be “provocative” and that, even though police had sought to liaise with the group, this had “absolutely no effect in terms of ameliorating their behaviour”.

In contrast to the views of DCS Adrian Tudway, the National Co-ordinator for Domestic Extremism at Scotland Yard, or the reluctance of the Metropolitan Police to stop the EDL’s proposed march though Tower Hamlets, Norman Bettison has taken the threat posed by the EDL seriously. After consulting with the local community he did not hesitate to apply for a ban on the EDL marching in Bradford last year, under Section 13 of the Public Order Act, and when they turned up in Dewsbury in June for a static demonstration he used his powers under Section 14 to prevent them entering the town centre and instructed them to hold their rally in the station car park instead.

Supporters of the English Defence League are overwhelmingly young men who mistrust others and are deeply pessimistic about the future, according to the first significant study of the UK’s most provocative street movement for 30 years.

The report said almost three-quarters of EDL supporters in an online survey were under the age of 30, and 81% were male.

The EDL has held a series of street demonstrations since it was formed in 2009, often deliberately targeting areas with significant Muslim populations. Many have been marred by violence, racism and virulent Islamophobia.

The group says it was set up to oppose “militant Islam” but the research, carried out by the thinktank Demos and involving 1,300 self-declared EDL supporters, found many were more motivated by a hostility to immigration in general, and others expressed a growing concern about what they see as a threat to British values.

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Members of the English Defence League were reduced to infighting and throwing fireworks and bottles in Birmingham today after a particularly poor turnout on the organisation’s latest national demo.

The EDL demo, billed as the last “Big one” of 2011, drew only around 300 people, despite a mobilisation from across the country and demoralisation was evident among the racists and fascists.

Meanwhile, up to 1,000 people – overwhelmingly from Birmingham itself – attended a unity “Love the difference” event opposing the EDL during the afternoon. The anti-EDL protest was organised by UAF and local trade union branches, faith groups and community organisations.

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A councillor from one of the Birmingham suburbs most affected by the summer riots has written to Home Secretary Theresa May, urging her to ban the proposed EDL march.

Lozells and East Handsworth Labour councillor Waseem Zaffar said the recent disturbances had shown the need for communities to work together.

“During a difficult period for the city when three young Muslim men lost their lives in the disturbances, it was the strength of our communities standing together that defused the tension and allowed the diverse community of Birmingham to move forward together,” he said.

“The EDL must not be able to bring their messages of hate and division to places where diversity is a strength not a weakness. There must be no place for hatred in our communities. Now that EDL’s march in London has been banned by you, you must also ban the march in Birmingham,” he added.

Birmingham Mail, 25 October 2011

See also “Concern over planned EDL march in Birmingham next Saturday”, ENGAGE, 24 October 2011

And “Birmingham: say no to the racist EDL, Saturday 29 October”, Unite Against Fascism, 25 October 2011

Update:  See “EDL Birmingham demo location moved by police”, BBC News, 25 October 2011