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'THE 'PREVENT' FILES'
about the misuse of a state power, conflating radicalisation with non-violent civil disobedience, mental health and neurodivergency vulnerabilities and the suppression of human rights including the right to protest and the right to freedom of expression
TWO
2nd July, 2025 This afternoon I met with Gemma Stubbington, Head of Nursing, Professions and Quality for Mid & North Area, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust. I had asked to meet Gemma so as to establish the timeline and the rationale that led to my referral to the governments’ counter terrorism Prevent programme.
‘What is the Prevent programme?
The core mission of Prevent is stopping people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. The early intervention support provided by Prevent addresses the personal, ideological, and social factors which make people more susceptible to radicalisation.
The programme:
works in partnership with front-line professionals such as teachers, healthcare practitioners, social workers, the police, charities and civil society, psychologists, community leaders and others;…’
https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/07/prevent-and-channel-factsheet-2023/
The whole sorry affair that culminated in the referral of me to Prevent started in the office of my local MP, Luke Murphy by way of a ‘safeguarding’ concern about my plans to protest against injustice metered out against me by Hampshire Constabulary. I needed to raise widespread public awareness of my intention to commit to further hunger strikes later this summer and to share my account of my experiences with mental health services in Basingstoke. I have, to date, engaged in three hunger strikes but seen no discernible movement in the position of Hampshire Constabulary. I believe future hunger strikes will carry significantly more political weight if they are observed and scrutinised in real time by a sizable national or even international audience.
So, the purpose of protesting at locations of special interest, in and around central London, was so that I might be conspicuous, visible to as many people as possible. A small proportion of my target audience were to be members of Parliament and other government officials. The larger proportion of my target audience was going to be tourists, sightseers with mobile phones, cameras and a curious eye for dramaturgy and spectacle. I chronicled my intentions and itinerary here within the pages of my blog and Luke Murphy’s office responded, emailing a 'safeguarding' concern to my care coordinator with the community mental health team at the Bridge Centre in Basingstoke.
That alert swiftly led to my referral to Prevent.
My meeting with Gemma Stubbington this afternoon established the following facts
1) Gemma advised my referral to Prevent because of my intentions to protest outside the Houses of Parliament and other seats of government in and around central London, thereby conflating terrorism with the legitimate, lawful rights to freedom of expression and the right to protest.
2) Gemma sought advice from the ‘Safeguarding Board’ that serves the Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust. That same ‘Safeguarding Board’ concurred with Gemma, advising her to follow through and refer me to Prevent. That same ‘Safeguarding Board’ went further and advised that Gemma seek contact with Hampshire Constabulary, which she did. Hampshire Constabulary also concurred and advised a referral to Prevent.
3) Gemma referred me to Prevent on the 20th June, 2025, ostensibly based on the premise that I was intending to protest outside the Houses of Parliament and other seats of government.
I consider this an overreach and an abuse of power.
I have learned, through the reading of articles published by Liberty, Amnesty UK and PreventWatch, that the Prevent programme represents a significant threat to human rights in the UK.
Liberty is an independent membership organisation that challenges injustice, defends freedom and campaigns to make sure everyone in the UK is treated fairly. This is what they have to say about Prevent;
‘Why should we be concerned by the Prevent programme?
Civil society groups have expressed concerns about the Prevent strategy since its introduction in 2005, and its ongoing impact, particularly on the Muslim community, children and neurodiverse people (who are all disproportionately represented in the number of Prevent referrals). Many Prevent referrals have been based on incorrect connections between expressions of faith, solidarity and political dissent, and ‘extremism’ and ‘radicalisation’.’
‘WHY SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED?
The definition of extremism under Prevent is so wide that thousands of people are being swept up by it – including children engaging in innocuous conduct, people protesting climate change, and a nurse who began wearing a hijab.
In fact, more than nine out of ten Prevent referrals in 2017/18 didn’t require any de-radicalisation action.
The policy simply embeds discrimination in public services, eroding carefully cultivated relationships which rely on trust, and fosters a culture of self-censorship. And studies have shown that Muslim students are changing their behaviour for fear of being stigmatised, labelled as extremists or subjected to discrimination.
Prevent is fundamentally misconceived, and the Government hasn’t published any evidence that holding extreme views is a reliable predictor of future participation in violence.’ - https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/fundamental/prevent/
