John Woodcock, or Lord Walney, is the UK government’s independent adviser on political violence and disruption.

In 2021, he was tasked with producing a report “into the extreme fringes on both ends of the political spectrum” in Britain, and with making recommendations to the prime minister.

Woodcock has now completed his report, and is urging Britain’s political leaders to take a “zero-tolerance approach” to pro-Palestine and climate protesters.

Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, says Woodcock, should “instruct their MPs and councillors not to engage with anyone” from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign “until they get their house in order and cut the hate from their marches”.

In addition, Woodcock is suggesting that pro-Palestine protesters should be forced to pay towards policing costs and be treated like “sectarian parades in Northern Ireland”.

Yet Woodcock can hardly be considered independent. He has previously worked with the Israel lobby and has even accepted funding from it amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Declassified has found.

This raises serious questions about Woodcock’s suitability to advise the government on issues relating to Palestine, or on extremism altogether.

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