Rishi Sunak's Latest Plan To Punish Those Who 'Vilify' UK Is Being Completely Torn Apart
Rishi Sunak's latest policy announcement has gone down like a lead balloon (Photo: via Associated Press)
Rishi Sunak has unveiled another new policy as part of his bid to become the next prime minister, but it has almost definitely backfired already.
The former chancellor, who has fallen behind his rival Liz Truss in the polls, says he intends to widen the definition of extremism to include those who “vilify” the UK.
These people, including those who have an “extreme hatred of Britain” will then be referred to the government’s de-radicalisation Prevent programme, according to Sunak, although this is a voluntary scheme.
This could include law-abiding citizens who criticise Britain, but Sunak’s campaign claim it would not include government criticism and was not legally binding.
He said these proposals would “refocus” Prevent on Islamic extremism, rather than right-wing militants, claiming: “We must never let those who seek to undermine and destroy our way of life to succeed.”
Sources also told The Telegraph that Sunak believed extremists wanted to attack the UK’s existence, not just its values.
Sunak said: “There is no more important duty for a prime minister than keeping our country and our people safe. Whether redoubling our efforts to tackle Islamist extremism or rooting out those who are vocal in their hatred of our country, I will do whatever it takes to fulfil that duty.
“Britain is a beacon of freedom, tolerance and diversity.”
Unfortunately, not everyone seemed to agree that this new policy echoed that.
Some people thought it was indicative of how the campaign was actually going for him – he is 34 points behind Truss according to the latest YouGov poll of Tory Party members.
Quite funny how shit Rishi Sunak is at this. Having to say bollocks like "I'll reeducate people who think Britain is bad" in an attempt to beat *Liz Truss*.
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) August 3, 2022
Others pointed out that the policy announcement overlooked some key elements of the Prevent programme itself:
The announcement either forgets or ignores that the govt is supposed to be considering a new definition of extremism already created by the Commission for Countering Extremism - a body it set up itself in 2018
Ministers have not responded to official recommendations since 2019— Lizzie Dearden (@lizziedearden) August 3, 2022
Rishi Sunak apparently neither understands extremism nor the (entirely voluntary!!) Prevent scheme.
— Oz Katerji (@OzKaterji) August 3, 2022
Then there were the people who just feared the idea altogether.
Rishi Sunak to round up people who "speak or write about the UK in an abusively disparaging manner". THAT'S not at all scary. pic.twitter.com/QVERRWwtXr
— Otto English (@Otto_English) August 3, 2022
And it wasn’t long until the jokes started to get out of hand...
Liz Truss after a massive campaign gaffe but Rishi Sunak keeps saying mad things pic.twitter.com/R4iYjLyzyc
— Graeme Demianyk (@GraemeDemianyk) August 3, 2022
This tiny little island has contributed mostly violence & regression to most of the world. Perverted systems of democracies a thousand years old, desecrated indigenous practises and erased languages, pillaged land & resources. Refer me, bitches. @ukhomeofficehttps://t.co/ojUQP3cCq4
— Shahmir Sanni (@shahmiruk) August 3, 2022
Your boyfriend getting sent to the Government's deradicalisation Prevent program for tweeting "Michael Gove is a pudding-faced cockwomble" https://t.co/aXmwV6qHKm
— Jim Trinca (@TrincaJamie) August 3, 2022
Rishi Sunak throwing me in Nonce Wing for saying English breakfasts are inferior to cheerios
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) August 3, 2022
BREAKING: Rishi Sunak has unveiled plans to arrest you for extremism and have you deprogrammed if you say you don't like the UK. This is one of the most sinister proposals in our country's history, isn't it? x
— Laura Kuenssberg Translator (@BBCLauraKT) August 3, 2022
10 years in prison for calling the UK a “bad vibes country”. https://t.co/HFBeEjNBFe
— Ash Sarkar (@AyoCaesar) August 3, 2022
Madness. Nothing is more British than moaning about Britain. https://t.co/avcOpxO1Y3
— Tom Holland (@holland_tom) August 3, 2022
Okay wait... are we for or against free speech? Can we get a list of the free things we're permitted to say in order to avoid brainwashing camp? https://t.co/5MAK11LfqZ
— Dame Judi Doodlecat🩲🟨🟥🇵🇸 (@JudiDoodlecat) August 3, 2022
me walking into one of these camps and seeing all of my mutuals pic.twitter.com/3hrYaUmX0thttps://t.co/rTUym9fMtF
— luke (@LukeWilliams_29) August 3, 2022
That feeling when you send 40,000 scousers to prison for booing the national anthem https://t.co/Rnq8NDKZ0npic.twitter.com/2kGzF3iJfI
— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) August 3, 2022
Fascinating how the left have been demonised as a dangerous totalitarian menace while the supposedly ‘moderate’ Tory leadership candidate floats a deranged idea that would make some dictatorships blush https://t.co/bbCgTtwaJS
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) August 3, 2022
Me being carted off into the back of a police car after they find out i’ve been betting against England in every World Cup event for the last 16 years https://t.co/epIZzBpKw2pic.twitter.com/58kTA09DbG
— Steph (@StephanieYeboah) August 3, 2022
Can’t wait to meet 90% of my timeline IRL in one of the Prevent camps. https://t.co/n4f0qS0oSR
— Christina McMc (@ChristinaMcMc) August 3, 2022
Truss’ camp also criticised the announcement for being “thin”, adding: “Mostly it’s a restatement of government policy. The few new proposals are superficial and unfunded with a risk of letting serious terrorists slip through the net by creating arbitrary targets.”
It comes the day after Truss’ huge U-turn on her proposed policy to cut public sector pay for workers outside of London. She has since claimed that her campaign was “misrepresented” when she said that.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost UK and has been updated.