.... As I said, much of the Cameron speech fits in with a pre-existing, long-standing Gove/Quilliam/neoconservative agenda. And how is the "muscular liberalism" approach any different from the Tony Blair/John Reid/Charles Clarke/Hazel Blears approach?
Cameron, for example, condemns those "soft-left" groups that "lump all Muslims together, compiling a list of grievances and arguing if only governments addressed them, this terrorism would stop". But so, too, did Blair. The former PM was as keen to hector Muslim groups about "integration" and "British values" as the current.
[COMMENT] 'under the pernicious influence of Michael Gove'? No Mehdi, under the benevolent influence of a growing number of people who are not prepared to accept intolerance, racism, homophobia and misogyny and who understand that extremism is about more than violence - it is a threat to our open and tolerant society. It must be challenged. [New Statesman] Read more
