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Sir Keir Starmer will today chair another emergency Cobra meeting as he vowed to not ‘let up’ on the Government’s crackdown on far-right rioters.
The Prime Minister will hold fresh crisis talks with senior police officers this afternoon despite last night’s planned gatherings fizzling out.
Police were braced for further violence yesterday evening with more than 100 planned protests and around 30 more counter protests.
Shops were boarded up in many towns and cities amid fears of fresh mayhem in the wake of the Southport stabbing attack last Monday.
But, by 8pm, many protests did not materialise and those that did were dwarfed in size by counter-demonstrations.
An estimated 25,000 anti-racism activists turned out in force in cities across the UK.
After visiting a mosque in Solihull this morning, Sir Keir told broadcasters: ‘Now it’s important that we don’t let up here.
‘And that’s why later on today I will have another Cobra meeting with law enforcement, with senior police officers, to make sure that we reflect on last night but also plan for the coming days.’
Sir Keir Starmer will today chair another emergency Cobra meeting as he vowed to not ‘let up’ on the Government’s crackdown on far-right rioters
After visiting a mosque in Solihull this morning, Sir Keir told broadcasters: ‘Now it’s important that we don’t let up here’
The PM has said ‘the most important lesson’ is the one which people sentenced to prison will learn, after violent disorder over the past 10 days.
Asked about lessons learned and what the Government could do differently in the future, Sir Keir replied: ‘The most important lesson is for those involving themselves in disorder, because what we’ve seen is that those who’ve been arrested – now numbered in their hundreds, many have been charged, some already in court, and now a number of individuals sentenced to terms of imprisonment, that is a very important message to those involved in disorder.
‘And I say it again, anybody involving themselves in disorder, whatever they claim as their motive, will feel the full force of the law.
‘It’s important I repeat that because we need to make sure that in the coming days, we can give the necessary reassurance to our communities, many of whom – I’ve been talking to some this morning – are very anxious about the situation.’
Sir Keir spoke on a visit to the West Midlands, after he visited a mosque, held a roundtable discussion with Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood, West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, and members of the Muslim Community, and met police officers who attended recent disorder.
The PM said last night’s events turned out ‘much better than was expected’, after many planned anti-immigration protests failed to materialise.
Asked whether he should engage with the underlying tensions over the issue of immigration, Sir Keir said: ‘The first priority is safety and security of our communities, and yes, last night was much better than was expected, but we are not going to give up on our efforts here.
‘That’s why it’s very important that I continue my discussions, co-ordinating with law enforcement, with police leaders, to make sure we’ve got the right officers in the right place, to keep pushing on the criminal justice response.
‘I was very keen that we were able to demonstrate that if you’re involved in disorder, within days you will be in the criminal justice system and some people starting long terms of imprisonment.
‘That needs to continue, and so that is my sole focus.’
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