Security minister Tom Tugendhat has said he “absolutely” agrees with three former home secretaries that tackling extremism should not be used for “short-term tactical advantage” in the run-up to the general election.

It comes ahead of an expected new definition of extremism being released this week, potentially alongside a list of extremist organisations.

Dame Priti Patel, Sir Sajid Javid and Amber Rudd were among those who signed a statement calling for “as broad a consensus as possible” in facing down extremism from Islamists, the far-right and others, and a guarantee that “no political party uses the issue to seek short-term tactical advantage”.

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Security minister Tom Tugendhat was asked about whether he agrees with the former ministers.

He said: “Absolutely – and that’s exactly what we’re doing.

“And in fact, I was speaking at a conference on Friday about extremism organised by Onward (a Conservative-aligned thinktank) and by Labour Together (a Labour-aligned thinktank).

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“So we’re making sure that what we are doing is we’re setting out an agenda to keep the British people safe from extremist and radical ideas.”

He added the government “of course” needs “new ideas” and a “challenge of thought” – but it also needs “to make sure that people are safe in our country and that they’re not lured down a path of radicalisation”.

The new plan on the definition of extremism is set to be launched on Thursday, and is being headed up by Communities Secretary Michael Gove.

Other signatories to the letter signed by the three former home secretaries include former counter-terror policing chief Neil Basu, ex head of the army General Lord Dannatt, the government’s adviser on political violence Lord Walney, antisemitism adviser Lord Mann and social cohesion adviser Dame Sara Khan.

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The letter said: “Keeping citizens safe is the first responsibility of government. So dealing with extremism is essential given the real threats from Islamist extremists, far-right extremists and others.

“It requires as broad a consensus as possible if we are to be successful in marginalising and defeating it.

“In the run-up to a general election, it’s particularly important that that consensus is maintained and that no political party uses the issue to seek short-term tactical advantage.

“We urge the Labour Party and the Conservative Party to work together to build a shared understanding of extremism and a strategy to prevent it that can stand the test of time, no matter which party wins an election.

“Our country is most effective in tackling extremism when it does it together.”

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Brendan Cox, the husband of Jo Cox, the Labour MP who was murdered in 2016 by a far-right extremist, also backed the calls.

He said: “This is an extraordinary intervention from the country’s foremost counter-terror and extremism experts.

“The message is clear, if we are to tackle extremism effectively we have to do it together. It can’t be used as a political football, especially not in the run-up to an election. Some things are too important.”

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