Politicians urged to tackle far-right

By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) - Far right militants are getting more sophisticated and politicians need to challenge their message head on, an expert on community relations says.

Professor Ted Cantle, who led the government review into the 2001 riots which erupted in towns across northern England -- Britain's worst disturbances in recent times -- warned the far right's action could provoke a repeat of that violence.

But he said local groups and community organisations should be better prepared to act should it appear trouble was looming.

"We have got a much bigger and more determined far right than in 2001, which has been emboldened by recent successes," he told Reuters in an interview.

"Clearly any community can be provoked and the far right is taking more action, and some of its provocation is nastier and more sophisticated.

"The provocation is serious and it could lead to some forms of disorder. I'm not sure it would be on the basis of 2001 but nevertheless it's always a possibility."

Violence has broken out in recent months in Birmingham and north London amid anti-Islamist demonstrations by far right groups, who Cantle said now focus attention on Muslims rather than ethnic minorities generally.

So far, the trouble has not been too serious but there are warnings the disorder could escalate. The Quilliam Foundation, a counter-extremism think tank, said rival marches in Manchester this Saturday (Oct 10) could spark more serious problems.