Roundup: 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" the poisonous extremist ideology.

Cameron chaired his first National Security Council (NSC) meeting Wednesday following his Conservative Party's victory in the general election last week.

At the meeting, he 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, powers to close premises where extremists seek to influence others, and further immigration restrictions on extremists.

"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 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.

"Whether they are violent in their means or not, we must make it impossible for the extremists to succeed," he noted.

British Home Secretary Theresa May said the twisted narrative of extremism "cannot be ignored or wished away."

"We will introduce legislation to combat groups and individuals who reject our values and promote messages of hate. We will empower institutions to stand up against the extremists and challenge bigotry and ignorance," she said.

She added that Britain would support those "who are fighting back against extremism online."

"United by our values and the basic principles of our society we are determined to defeat extremism in all its forms," she concluded. Endit