Groundswell Project responds to Government's cohesion plans

Groundswell Project broadly welcomes the Government's 'Protecting What Matters' strategy, launched yesterday, to build greater cohesion within the UK's sometimes divided communities. 

We believe the move within the strategy towards a greater emphasis on localism, and the adoption of a clear, non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility is the right direction of travel, and by focusing on the protection of individuals while safeguarding the right to theological critique, it is creating a better framework for civil discourse.

We do, however, believe there are several areas that need addressing before the implementation phase of this strategy:

• Over-reliance on monitoring: The reliance on university helplines and expanded regulatory "teeth" prioritises a culture of external reporting and monitoring. True resilience is organic; it cannot be mandated by a culture that relies on an ever expanding bureaucracy that can result in stifling critical dialogue and the necessary exposure to a diverse range of viewpoints.

• Regulatory over-reach: Granting the Charity Commission more powers without a radical overhaul of the way in which it is managed and run risks regulatory overreach. In our view, such bodies need a cultural shift with a greater awareness of how extremist networks operate and the necessity of strong action.

• Short termism: “Pride in Place" must be more than a slogan or a Whitehall grant scheme. Real localism requires shifting resources directly to those on the front lines, not just funding "moments" or high-street optics.

Ghaffar Hussain, Managing Director of Groundswell Project, said: "Our experience working closely with communities up and down the country is that community resilience requires a delicate balance of safety, freedom to express views (and to have them challenged) and a long-term commitment to fostering ‘social glue’. The fact that the Government is taking this issue seriously is welcomed - but it needs to be more than words, we need to see actions that make a real difference to the lives of people on the ground."

We look forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure this work does move further towards localism and re-building communities from the bottom up.