The article reports criticism of a Green Party deputy leader after they argued that fewer people should be referred to the Government’s Prevent counter-terrorism programme. The dispute matters because Prevent is intended to identify people considered at risk of being drawn into terrorism, while its use has also prompted debate about fairness, accuracy and civil liberties.

Critics described the comments as uninformed, arguing that reducing referrals could weaken efforts to spot potential threats early. The disagreement centres on the balance between safeguarding the public and avoiding unnecessary or inappropriate referrals to a counter-extremism scheme.