Britain unveils plans to toughen counter-extremism measures

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday unveiled plans to toughen the country's counter-extremism measures, pledging to confront "head-on" poisonous extremist ideologies.

Chairing his first National Security Council (NSC) meeting after the general election, Cameron set out his intention to prioritize new legislation to make it much harder to promote "dangerous extremist views" in communities.

The planned measures are part of a wider package aimed at bringing communities together to defeat extremism and creating a more secure future for the country.

Concrete measures will include introducing banning orders for extremist organizations, new extremism disruption orders to restrict people who seek to radicalize young people, and powers to close premises where extremists seek to influence others.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens: as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone. It's often meant we have stood neutral between different values. And that's helped foster a narrative of extremism and grievance," Cameron said.

He added that the new government would "conclusively turn the page on this failed approach."

"As the party of one nation, we will govern as one nation, and bring our country together. That means actively promoting certain values: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, democracy, the rule of law, equal rights regardless of race, gender or sexuality," he elaborated.

"We must say to our citizens: this is what defines us as a society. To belong here is to believe in these things. And it means confronting head-on the poisonous Islamist extremist ideology," the prime minister said at the meeting. Endit