Labour to set up new extremism whistleblowing service for university staff

"We must listen to people's concerns about growing divisions and take action to bring our communities back together. The plan will include a new Campus Cohesion Charter to strengthen respect and shared values across universities, alongside a new whistleblowing service and investment in the Common Ground Resilience Fund to support organisations tackling community divisions."

"When a mother cannot speak to her child's teacher, join a residents' meeting, challenge her landlord about damp walls, argue for fair pay or speak to her doctor, daily life becomes a series of hurdles. For too many women from migrant backgrounds, language can be the difference between isolation and independence."

"Government funding for English as a second language courses in England fell by 60% between 2010 and 2016, from £203m in 2010 to £90m, with migrant rights campaigners warning cuts have made English-language classes harder to access. The government will review how English-language teaching is provided and identify ways to make it more accessible."

The UK government announced a comprehensive action plan to strengthen social cohesion and tackle extremism. The strategy includes establishing a whistleblowing service for university staff, granting the Charity Commission powers to shut down charities, and investing £5 million in the Common Ground Resilience Fund. A Campus Cohesion Charter will promote shared values across universities, while an annual State of Extremism report will track threats and government responses. The Visa Watchlist Taskforce will be strengthened to prevent hate preachers from entering the country. The plan emphasizes English language proficiency, addressing a significant gap created by 60% funding cuts to English as a Second Language courses between 2010 and 2016. The government aims to improve accessibility to English-language teaching through various delivery methods.

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