Had a very interesting series of meetings today with Vernon Coaker, the Home Office Minister responsible for policing, counter-terrorism, end community cohesion. (Promoted in the autumn from his previous Home Office post, where he had responsibility for prostitution, amongst other things and came to a really good meeting I organised in east Bristol last spring).
We started off at the Council House in Bristol meeting police, council officers, the council leader and community activists involved in delivering locally on the Government's 'Prevent' strategy, (basically about preventing radicalisation and violent extremism in local communities).
We started off at the Council House in Bristol meeting police, council officers, the council leader and community activists involved in delivering locally on the Government's 'Prevent' strategy, (basically about preventing radicalisation and violent extremism in local communities).
We then went to the Shah Jahal mosque in Stapleton Road to meet mosque leaders and others from the Muslim community (including Arif Khan, Labour's council candidate in Easton in the June elections), where we talked mostly about Gaza and how upset people feel about what is happening, so I gave them an update on my discussions with Bill Rammell on Tuesday. (Got another meeting lined up with Bill on Monday, by the way).
Last stop was the BMCS offices to meet a group of Muslim girls involved in the Waasila project, who gave us very positive feedback on how the project has helped develop their confidence and given them a forum in which to discuss cultural issues.
Tomorrow Arif's organising a march in support of the people of Gaza, leaving from the Shah Jahal mosque at 2pm and heading into the city centre. I'll be at the Limes (day centre for early onset Alzheimer's sufferers in Kingswood) but will be trying to catch up with them at the Council House a bit later.
