Sir Keir Starmer accused of getting ‘no plan’ for lowering migration
Sir Keir Starmer was yesterday accused of having ‘no plan’ for reducing migration as he dodged questions about it in the wake of the riots. The Prime Minister was asked whether now was the time to acknowledge ‘underlying tensions’ in communities over record migration levels in recent years.
But during a visit to a mosque in Solihull, Birmingham, he failed to answer the question, simply saying: ‘The first priority is safety and security of our communities.
‘I was very keen that we were able to demonstrate that if you’re involved in disorder, within days you’ll be in the criminal justice system and with some people starting long terms of imprisonment.’
But Sir John Hayes, a former Tory security minister, said the PM needed to tackle the issue head on by setting out how he intends to stop small boat Channel crossings while also reducing net legal migration from the 685,000 it hit last year.
He said: ‘There’s been too much immigration in this country for too long and a huge proportion of the population knows that. So there are underlying tensions, fears and problems. And now that the thuggery and crime seems to have abated, we need to have a measured national conversation about that and I’m amazed that that’s not recognised by the Government.’
Sir Keir Starmer was yesterday accused of having ‘no plan’ for reducing migration as he dodged questions about it in the wake of the riots
Sir Keir speaks to faith leaders in Solihull. It was during a visit to a mosque in Solihull, Birmingham , that he failed to answer questions about migration, simply saying: ‘The first priority is safety and security of our communities
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper praised a ‘really strong’ response to the riots from police and the criminal justice system, saying: ‘We said from the start that criminals, thugs, would pay the price for the kind of violence and disorder we have seen on the streets’
Sir John Hayes, a former Tory security minister, said the PM needed to tackle the issue head on by setting out how he intends to stop small boat Channel crossings
It emerged this week that 4,000 small boat migrants have reached Britain since Labour came to power and scrapped the Rwanda deportation scheme. The figures appear to show that former PM Rishi Sunak was right when he claimed that migrants were ‘queueing up’ in Calais waiting for a Labour government to scrap the Tories‘ flagship immigration policy.
Sir Keir also came under fresh pressure yesterday to cancel his summer holiday plans as a poll showed that a majority of the public think he should.
The YouGov survey found seven in ten think the PM shouldn’t go on holiday in the coming days amid the continued fallout from the far-Right riots. Sir Keir said that ‘we don’t want to let up here’ during yesterday’s visit when asked about ongoing efforts to ensure the unrest doesn’t flare up again, suggesting he may cancel his break.
Last night Sir Keir chaired his third COBRA meeting of the week, where he reportedly told officials the country needs to remain on ‘high alert’.
The Prime Minister told reporters: ‘Anybody involving themselves in disorder, whatever they claim [is] their motive, will feel the full force of the law.’ Saying that the sentences yesterday ‘sent a very powerful message’, he added: ‘It is important that we don’t let up here.’
After Scotland Yard launched a series of dawn raids yesterday morning, chief Sir Mark Rowley said: ‘What I want to make really clear is those we’ve arrested aren’t protesters, patriots or decent citizens. They’re thugs and criminals.’
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper praised a ‘really strong’ response to the riots from police and the criminal justice system, saying: ‘We said from the start that criminals, thugs, would pay the price for the kind of violence and disorder we have seen on the streets.’
She also pledged to crack down on those inciting violence and spreading misinformation online, adding: ‘We have police officers across the country who are continuing to pursue those online cases, as well as the cases [on] the streets.’
A man is detained by police during an anti-immigrant protest in Blackpool on Tuesday
A police car is set on fire as Far-right activists hold an Enough is Enough protest in Sunderland on August 2
A man is walked to a police van as the Metropolitan Police arrests 10 people this morning following the riots in Whitehall last week
Sentencing some of the thugs in Liverpool yesterday, Judge Andrew Menary hit out at the ‘baying mob’ who rioted in Southport within hours of a peaceful vigil for the victims last Wednesday.
Saying they had ‘disgraced and damaged’ the town’s reputation, he added: ‘It is estimated that there were about 1,000 so called ‘protesters’, though quite what they were ‘protesting’ about remains a mystery to many. This was large scale and very violent criminal activity made much worse by the fact that it was happening only a day after entirely different, utterly tragic events.’
Merseyside Police said the last of eight children seriously injured in the holiday club stabbing had been discharged from hospital yesterday.
The family of the unnamed girl condemned the violence, saying: ‘We were deeply saddened by the recent disorder and the attacks on our police force.
‘It is important to highlight that, when the horrific events unfolded, our police officers were the first on the scene. We are immensely grateful to the officers who stood by our daughter’s side, providing assistance and support.’
The grandfather of six-year-old victim Bebe King also called for calm. Michael Weston King, 62, wrote on social media: ‘I won’t comment on what has happened around the country in the aftermath, other than to say peace, love and understanding is what we need, and it is all we need. Nothing else.’
