Surge in far-right extremism as spotlight fell on jihadist threat

Tahir Abbas, a senior research fellow at RUSI and an expert in violent extremism, said far-right lone wolves were a “rising problem” and compared them to Islamist extremists who have launched random attacks. “They share similar issues as those on the jihadist spectrum — their isolation and alienation, coupled with an online community where they share their hate, is a new form of risk for us and our security.” He said there were some, like Mair, who were “prepared to turn to violence”.