The Limitations of Prevent and its inability to prevent terrorist attacks against the State

The UK terrorist attack and the killing of Sir David Amess MP in October 2021 was an echo and repeat of the Jo Cox killing five years earlier, in June 2016. A reminder that in a liberal democracy where the terrorist threat is often described as substantial or severe, State actors, such as Members of Parliament, as well as other dignitaries, remain vulnerable to attack, particularly MPs in their own constituencies. The counter-terrorism policy “Prevent” is ineffective in cases where individuals are determined to carry out such attacks. This article will critically evaluate the capability of the Prevent strategy to block attacks against the State, such as those described, and shows Prevent plays a more limited role in trying to reach individuals before they become radicalised.