Keir Starmer vows to deal with ‘root causes of extremism’ after ‘appalling’ Golders Green assault
The PM said funding to protect the security of Jewish people needs to be increased and said he will visit Golders Green ‘as soon as possible’ following the ‘appalling attack’
The PM said funding to protect the security of Jewish people needs to be increased(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Keir Starmer has vowed to deal with “the root causes of extremism and antisemitism” following a terrorist attack on a Jewish community in north London.
The PM said funding to protect the security of Jewish people needs to be increased and said he will visit Golders Green “as soon as possible” following the “appalling attack” . He added that he will hold meetings with criminal justice agencies tomorrow following an emergency Cobra meeting this afternoon.
Two Jewish men, aged 76 and 34, were stabbed in a terrorist attack in the area earlier today. They are in a stable condition in hospital. Jewish leaders called for tougher action on anti-semitic violence after the double stabbing at around 11.15am which has been declared a terrorist attack.
Speaking this evening, Mr Starmer said: “Let me start by saying what an appalling attack this is and my thoughts – all of our thoughts – are with the victims, their families, their loved ones. And, let’s be frank, this is not an isolated incident. There have been a series of anti-semitic attacks, and I know first hand the anxiety that that is causing in the community, and concern.
READ MORE: Golders Green resident tells how ‘terror has come to our doorstep’
“I was at Kenton Synagogue last week where I heard a lot about that level of anxiety. It’ll be worse after today. We’re very much in touch with the community and I’ll visit as soon as possible.”
He said he held a Cobra meeting this afternoon with attendees including the Home Secretary, the London mayor and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner “to coordinate our response and to look at enhanced security”.
He said he’d also spoken to the Community Security Trust, a British charity dedicated to protecting the Jewish community, adding: “There is enhanced funding already in place. We need to increase that to give the level of protection that is needed.
“We need to take measures to deal with malign state actors but we also have to be really clear that we need to get to the root causes of extremism and anti-semitism and that is what we’re doing.”
The PM said the government is taking action in relation to security, cohesion, extremism, continuing: “We do have to recognise the levels of anxiety and concern there are, that I know about, in terms of the Jewish community feeling very much, exposed and vulnerable, feeling they’ve got to hide their identity sometimes in the health service, sometimes at school, on the streets, where they live and it’s our job to make sure that they feel safe, secure. It’s our job, to make sure that we absolutely deal with the roots of anti-semitism and extremism. That is what we will do.”
Police said they are working to establish the “nationality and background” of the attacker who struck on Wednesday. He was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody after being checked over at hospital, The Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley said.
