How Prevent failed David Amess

In October 2021, Ali Harbi Ali assassinated David Amess, the MP for Southend West. The aftermath of this killing was marked by a debate in which MPs called for ‘love not hate’ and insisted that this showed the need for an Online Hate Bill. Now, almost three years after the murderer was sentenced to a whole life order, meaning he can never be released, the government has published the official report on failings by Prevent. As is often the case in such reports, appalling failures are hidden in mountains of text.

The report tells us that in 2014 the ‘Somali heritage’ Ali was living at home with his family and resitting his A Levels. Previously Ali had been a good pupil, but in his final year of school ‘his attitude began to change’, his ‘attendance became sporadic’ and ‘his form of dress changed… to what has been described as Islamic’. As a result, in October 2014, Ali was referred to Prevent for the first time.