A police unit will be set up to tackle violent disorder across the country after rioting by far-right groups in the wake of the Southport stabbings, the prime minister has announced.
Sir Keir Starmer said he would not allow a “breakdown of law and order on our streets” following violent scenes in Southport, Hartlepool and London in the aftermath of the attack, which killed three young girls.
Holding a press conference inside Downing Street, the prime minister criticised a ” a tiny, mindless minority in our society” who had forced the “grieving” community of Southport to “suffer twice”.
“A gang of thugs got on trains and buses, went to a community that is not their own,” he said.
“A community grieving the most horrific tragedy and then proceeded to throw bricks at police officers. Police officers who just 24 hours earlier had been having to deal with an attack on children in their community. Their community.“
Sir Keir said he was clear that riots that have taken place over the three locations were not “protest”.
“It’s not legitimate,” he said.
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“It’s crime. Violent disorder. An assault on the rule of law and the execution of justice. And so, on behalf of the British people who expect their values and their security to be upheld, we will put a stop to it.”
Sir Keir addressed journalists after a meeting with police chiefs today to discuss the scenes of violence that have taken place.
He told the police representatives that those who had been involved in the disorder had “no interest whatsoever in the raw pain of the community in Southport” and that he “supports the police” to get the “powers you need” to stop future riots.
He told journalists that the meeting this afternoon was not about “pointing the finger of blame” but to “pull together our response both to the immediate challenge, which is clearly driven by far right hatred, but also all violent disorder that flares up”.
“Crime is crime,” he said.
Announcing the unit to tackle rioting, he said the government would establish “national capability” across police forces to tackle “violent disorder”.
“These thugs are mobile,” he explained.
“They move from community to community. And we must have a policing response that can do the same.”
He said the government would make greater use of shared intelligence, facial recognition technology and “preventative action” such as criminal behaviour orders which restrict people’s movements before they attempt to take part in another demonstration.
Sir Keir also had strict words for social media companies after the violent disorder was “clearly whipped up online”.
“That is also a crime,” he said. “It’s happening on your premises. And the law must be upheld everywhere.”
