Former cabinet minister slams UK ‘complacency’ over Muslim Brotherhood influence

“We need to counter all three aspects and recognise the scale of the ideological battle and that this is a competition for hearts and minds, a conflict of values and ideologies. It is an immediate threat that we must recognise and counter with every tool at our disposal."

The Islamist group, founded in Egypt by Hassan al-Banna in 1928, believes in the eventual implementation of a Caliphate. It is designated a terrorist organisation by several Middle Eastern countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

In the aftermath of the Arab Spring in 2011, the group was able to gain power in Egypt. In 2012, Mohammed Morsi – affiliated with the Brotherhood – was elected as the country’s president.

He was overthrown in a military coup in 2013 led by current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, which resulted in a crackdown on the group.

And, in April this year, Jordan formally outlawed the activities and membership of the Muslim Brotherhood, following an alleged plot against the government.

However, the Brotherhood is not proscribed in the United Kingdom, nor in many European nations.

In 2015, a government review into the organisation said that “for the most part, the Muslim Brotherhood have preferred non-violent, incremental change on the grounds of expediency, often on the basis that political opposition will disappear when the process of Islamisation is complete”.

But it also found that the group are “prepared to countenance violence – including, from time to time, terrorism – where gradualism is ineffective,” adding: “They have deliberately, wittingly and openly incubated and sustained an organisation – Hamas – whose military wing has been proscribed in the UK as a terrorist organisation.”

Indeed Hamas emerged in Gaza from the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1980s.

The government's review concluded that: “Aspects of Muslim Brotherhood ideology and tactics, in this country and overseas, are contrary to our values and have been contrary to our national interests and our national security.”

Yet Cameron’s government decided against proscribing the Brotherhood, though the then-prime minister did say that: “Membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism.”

He went on to say that the government would “keep under review whether the views and activities of the Muslim Brotherhood meet the legal test for proscription”.

One former minister who spoke to the JC said that countries in the Middle East are, at present, worried about the lax attitude by decision makers towards the organisation.

“Countries in the region have expressed concerns that Westminster doesn’t take the threat from Muslim Brotherhood seriously enough,” said the erstwhile Labour minister, who asked to remain anonymous.

And they were not the only former government official to express the concern held by some in the Arab world about Islamism in the UK.

Boris Johnson’s former chief of staff Dominic Cummings has claimed there is an increased hesitancy by some figures in the Gulf to send their children to the UK as a result of the issue.

He wrote in a blog post: “if you talk to senior people in places like UAE, they tell you that bigshots in that region now tell each other — don’t send your kids to be educated in Britain, they’ll come back radical Islamist nutjobs!”

Asked about the government’s assessment of the Muslim Brotherhood’s activities since the 2015 report, a Home Office spokesperson told the JC: “Our priority remains maintaining the safety and security of the UK and our communities.

“While we do not comment on individual groups, we understand the extremism landscape is constantly evolving. That’s why we consider input from a range of sources to refresh our knowledge of potential threats, and will not hesitate to take action against groups or individuals who radicalise others.”