Home Office announces review of UK Government Counter-Terror Strategy

In the UK and overseas, there has been a shift towards self-initiated terrorists operating independently from organised groups with increasingly personal ideologies and warped views used to justify violence. 

The tactics and methodologies used by terrorists are diversifying and becoming increasingly fragmented. To meet those threats, the counter-terrorism strategy (CONTEST) will be updated to reflect these new challenges. This will involve seeking a diverse range of views and engaging security experts from across the UK and overseas, so that CONTEST continues to robustly protect the British public from terrorist threats. 

The update will take into account a series of important views, including the second volume of the Manchester Arena Inquiry, set to be published in the first week of November 2022. 

In addition, the findings from the Independent Review of Prevent, led by William Shawcross, will strengthen the government's ability to stop individuals being drawn into terrorism in the first place. 

The refresh will include a renewed commitment to introduce the Protect Duty, which will enhance the safety of public venues while avoiding placing additional burden on small businesses. 

The government expects to publish an updated and enhanced version of CONTEST next year.