Number of incidents
36. MI5 advises that, as an isolated measurement, the official number of ERWT attacks has not increased significantly in recent years.[1] However, there have been a number of high-profile ERWT incidents and convictions in recent years. MI5 acknowledges the complexities in defining exactly what constitutes an ERWT offence:
An act of terrorism ordinarily predicates violent action in support of an ideology, however the absence of an overarching ERWT narrative and the broad spectrum of views encompassed within the ERWT umbrella means that proving an ideological motivation for a particular action can be challenging.[2]
37. Nevertheless, since the proscription of National Action in 2016, there have been a string of arrests and convictions of individuals for ERWT offences, which have included membership of National Action, possession of material and encouraging terrorism:
- June 2016: Thomas Mair murdered Labour MP Jo Cox as she walked towards her constituency surgery.
- June 2017: Darren Osborne rammed a vehicle into a crowd outside a mosque near Finsbury Park, London, killing worshipper Makram Ali and injuring 12 others.
- June 2017: Ethan Stables arrested for planning a machete attack at a Gay Pride event in Barrow-in-Furness.
- June 2017: Jack Renshaw (a member of proscribed group National Action) charged with preparing acts of terrorism by plotting to kill Labour MP Rosie Cooper and a local police officer.
- March 2019: Vincent Fuller arrested (and subsequently charged) for attempted murder and racially aggravated assault.
- April 2019: Steven Bishop jailed for plotting to bomb a London mosque.
- October 2020: Cavan Medlock charged with preparing for an attack on Duncan Lewis Solicitors, ***.
Number of disruptions
MI5 advises that the number of incidents do not fully reflect the threat picture. Police-held data indicates that the number of ERWT investigations, disruptions and PREVENT referrals have all steadily increased since 2017. MI5 notes that, of the 25 attacks prevented by the Intelligence Community and Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) in the period between the attack on Westminster Bridge in March 2017 and 31 January 2020, eight (just under 30% of the total) were motivated by an ERWT ideology.[3]
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