Britain's counter-radicalisation program, Prevent, must make urgent improvements to avoid future failures that have led to deadly attacks by individuals previously referred to the scheme,

according to a new review released Wednesday.

Prevent, introduced in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, is designed to stop people from becoming radicalised and committing acts of violence. However, it has faced ongoing criticism—particularly from Muslim communities—who argue it has been misused as a surveillance tool. Moreover, several individuals referred to the programme have gone on to commit acts of terrorism.

The latest review was prompted by the case of Axel Rudakubana, a teenager who fatally stabbed three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport last year. Rudakubana had been flagged by his school to Prevent, but concerns about his violent behavior were never adequately addressed.

David Anderson, the Interim Independent Prevent Commissioner, also examined the case of Ali Harbi Ali, who killed MP David Amess in 2021 in a terrorist act inspired by the Islamic State. Like Rudakubana, Ali had previously been referred to Prevent, but critical warning signs were overlooked.

Anderson concluded that both cases revealed “a long chain of errors and poor judgment.” While Prevent has had successes, he said the system must evolve—especially to better address individuals with violent tendencies who may not be ideologically driven, such as Rudakubana.

In the long term, Anderson recommended integrating Prevent into a broader safeguarding and violence prevention strategy. He also stressed the need for greater focus on digital spaces: “Prevent needs to up its game in the online world, where most radicalisation now takes place,” he said.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper responded by pledging swift government action based on the report’s findings.

According to the latest figures, 6,922 people were referred to Prevent in the year ending March 2024, marking a 1.5% rise from the previous year. Of those, 36% involved individuals with no clear ideology or terrorism risk, 19% related to far-right extremism, and 13% to Islamist radicalisation.

This is not the first time Prevent has faced calls for reform. A separate review just two years ago recommended the program reorient its focus more toward the threat of militant Islamism, after it had become overly preoccupied with right-wing extremism. Photo by Simon Dawson / No10 Downing Street, Wikimedia commons.