Government response reveals no plans to publish new Hate Crime Strategy

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In the report, the Home Affairs Committee raised concerns about the rise of hate crime following events in Israel and Gaza, and subsequent protests. It called for the Government to set out a clearer pathway for tackling this form of crime. It called on the Government to update its hate crime action plan, which expired in 2020, and to provide responses to recently published independent reviews into hate crime. 

In its response to the report, the Government has revealed that it does not intend to publish a new hate crime strategy. The response also gives no indication of plans to publish a comprehensive response to the 2023 report into extremism by Dame Sara Khan and Sir Mark Rowley, Operating with Impunity. The Government did however agree to the Committee’s recommendation that the operation of the Public Order Act 2023 be reviewed in post-legislative scrutiny in 2025.  

Chair's comment

Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, Dame Diana Johnson said: 

“It is deeply troubling that the Government appears to have dropped its commitment to produce an up to date strategy setting out its approach to tackling hate crime. 

We have been concerned by an apparent growth in incidents of hate crime in recent months. We would expect that the Government would be redoubling their efforts in reaction to this and we are disappointed to learn no new update will be forthcoming. However, we will be writing to the Home Office and expect them to clarify what their intentions are.” 

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