UK Counter Terrorism Strategy needs a Holistic Approach
As details emerged this week, they painted a picture of Rudakubana’s infatuation with extreme violence, killing and genocide. It also highlighted opportunities where the brutal and deadly attack in Southport could have been prevented.
On 29 July 2024 Rudakubana systematically stabbed 11 young girls and two adults at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport. He murdered Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, and Bebe King, 6.
Rudakubana has pleaded guilty to 16 charges including murder, attempted murder, producing ricin, possession of terrorist material, and possession of a knife. Although he downloaded an al-Qaeda training manual, prosecutors said there is no evidence he ascribed to any specific political or religious ideology, meaning that these acts have not met the legal definition of terrorism.
He has shown no signs of remorse and has not explained motivation for his actions. Axel Rudakubana was sentenced to 52 years in prison – it is unlikely he will ever be released.
Axel Rudakubana was referred to the counter terrorism Prevent Programme on three separate occasions, in December 2019 and twice in April 2021, but a judgement was made that he did not meet a threshold for intervention.
Rudakubana was known to the police and youth justice system. He had been expelled from school for carrying knives and attacking classmates with a hockey stick. The week before the horrific murders in Southport, his dad prevented a similar attack from happening at Rudakubana’s previous school when he begged a taxi driver not to take his son.
Counter Terrorism Strategy Review
The publication of details has brought the UK’s counter terrorism strategy into sharp focus. Earlier this week, the Prime Minister said Britain needed to fundamentally change how it protects its citizens to reflect the evolving threats posed by those who seek to inflict harm on our communities and to undermine our democratic values. Sir Keir Starmer promised an inquiry into the Southport attack, to change the law and framework for how we deal with terrorism, and the Prevent programme will subsequently be reviewed.
The methodologies for terrorist threats have changed over the past 30 years, from nationalist and separatist movements to religiously motivated attacks, to an increasing number of loners and misfits carrying out low-sophisticated attacks using a knife or a vehicle as a weapon.
We also know that violence against women and girls underpins all forms of extremism, with 89% of referrals to Prevent made up of males. But the latest government counter terrorism statistics, from December 2024, shows a continued worrying trend in the increasing number of young people referred to Prevent. Where the age of the individual was known, 40% were aged 11 to 15 and 13% were aged between 16 to 17. Policy strategies surely must evolve to incorporate gender-based violence.
As Sir Keir Starmer oversees the UK’s approach to protecting its citizens, the landscape of modern terrorism cannot be separated from the socioeconomic environment in which it manifests. Research conducted by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that between 2010 and 2019, funding for central government departments reduced by 4%. This included reductions in funding for the Home Office by 23% and for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government by 42%.
Significant funding cuts have disproportionately affected services that form the backbone of social cohesion, such as education, local government, and social care. Reduced funding leads to a myriad of challenges because it weakens effectiveness of services, opportunities for intervention, and contributes to marginalisation and isolation.
Social media, online gaming and chat forums play a significant role in disseminating extremist and violent content, directly influencing pathways to radicalisation. The Government must leverage capabilities within the Online Safety Act and the forthcoming AI Bill to effectively combat the spread of harmful content online. By strengthening regulatory measures and enforcing accountability, it can ensure those responsible for hosting or sharing hatred and violence face justice. This is fundamental to combat many of the challenges in an increasingly digital age, as well as for the UK’s counter terrorism strategy.
Whilst it is important to have open and critical conversations about the type of threats we’re facing, we must also ensure that those in positions of influence, such as media or social media personalities, do not abuse their platforms to stoke the flames of intolerance. An example we witnessed in the wake of the Southport attack.
Addressing these issues requires a holistic approach that rethinks not only how we define and respond to terrorism, but also how we invest in and nurture our communities.