Tory Racism Row Undermines Sunak’s Pledge to Tackle Extremism

Rishi Sunak faced awkward questions about whether a top donor to his Conservative Party would fall foul of the government’s new definition of extremism, underscoring the political minefield facing the prime minister over his decision to wade into such a sensitive and controversial issue.

The government said Thursday groups falling foul of the new language — “promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance” that seeks to undermine democracy — would be blocked from government funding. The move is central to Sunak’s pledge to crack down on what he called growing extremism in the UK triggered by the Israel-Hamas war.