- Adopt a strategic approach to the EDL, which includes considering community cohesion, rather than looking at it purely as a law and order issue. This means a cross-department response, with the Home Office coordinating policy with the Department for Communities and Local Government.
- Develop a national response rather than the current localised approach, which leaves councils and local police forces to start from scratch at every event.
- Establish a national unit to monitor the EDL, such as the one created to track football hooliganism. This is especially important given Searchlight’s understanding
that serious former loyalist terrorists are now involved. - Establish a working group to look at whether current legislation is adequate to protect communities and social cohesion. This should take advice from all interested
parties and publish its findings. - Show some political leadership to what is, above all, a political problem.
“Hope Not Hate” Campaign says there are Five Things the Government should do to combat the English Defence League
29 June 2010