As we remember Lee Rigby and the lives lost to terror, we must ensure justice is done
22 May 2025, 18:18
Twelve years on from Lee Rigby’s brutal murder, we remember a young man who served his country with courage, a family left with heartbreak, and a moment that shook the nation to its core.
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Lee survived the frontlines of Afghanistan, only to be killed in broad daylight on a London street by Islamist extremists, radicalised right here in Britain. That should never happen anywhere, and certainly not here in our great country.
In their act of violence, Lee’s attackers chose to attack a symbol of our country, an attack on what he represented. Our country, our values, our way of life. That fact should haunt us.
In the days after his death, David Cameron warned of a “conveyor belt to radicalisation” and pledged to root it out. The Conservative government established a task force to tackle this issue. Cameron was right to act then, and we must keep acting now. But the uncomfortable truth is that today, Prevent, which should be our frontline defence against extremism, is falling short.
The 2023 independent Shawcross review looked into addressing this very issue. What it found was that Prevent had gone soft on Islamist extremism, and the numbers are stark. In the past 26 years, 94 out of 101 murders committed by terrorists in the UK were carried out by Islamist extremists, yet just 13% of Prevent’s work focuses on that threat.
Prevent has shown it can act decisively but too often, it’s been aggressive on right-wing extremism and timid when it comes to Islamist extremism. In case after case, from London Bridge to Reading, Parsons Green to the murder of Sir David Amess, the individuals had been referred to Prevent. In some cases, there was direct contact. But still, it had failed to intervene. This is a troubling pattern of missed opportunities. Prevent is there to stop people from being radicalised and stop lives from being lost. But the uncomfortable truth is that the Prevent strategy is not living up to its mission.
We have to be willing to name the ideology that fuels this threat and do more to challenge not just the violent individuals, but also the poisonous ideas that lead them down that path.
Firstly, that means working with communities. We have to bring our teachers, parents, faith leaders, frontline workers along this journey with us, as we can’t underestimate the vital role they all have to play. We need to support them, empower them, build trust, and make sure they’re part of the solution.
But this is also about the kind of country we are. As David Cameron said at the time, we can’t let our young people grow up in an environment where it is possible to hate our great country. We have to stand up for British values and help every part of our society feel part of something shared and proud.
Too often, the conversation about values gets boxed off as divisive or outdated. It is about giving everyone, whatever their background, a sense that they are part of something bigger than themselves. That they have a stake in our shared future.
Kemi Badenoch has been driving home this sentiment. She has said how love of country is the glue that binds a diverse society together. Integration, pride in Britain and a clear set of shared values are not optional extras. They are our best long-term defence against those who preach division.
We owe it to the next generation to build a country confident in itself, where no child grows up thinking they’re on the outside looking in, and no one is taught to view Britain as the enemy.
As we remember Lee Rigby and the lives lost to terror, we must also ensure justice is done. As I have said before, terrorism is an abhorrent evil. Whether it’s tougher prison sentences, specialist officers in probation, or the tools our police and courts need, we need a clear line in the sand.
And amidst all the grief and anger, there is also hope. Lee’s son, Jack, has raised over £100,000 to help children who’ve lost parents in the military. A powerful act of kindness and strength from a young man who lost his own father to hate. He is a credit to Lee’s memory and an inspiration to us all.
Lee Rigby stood for service, duty, and sacrifice. Honouring that means protecting those who serve, confronting those who target them, and fixing the failures that put lives at risk. We owe that much to him.
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Matt Vickers MP is Shadow Minister of State for Immigration, Crime, Policing and Fire
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