Senior Tories have demanded Keir Starmer reveal what he knew about the Southport child killings and when – as anger builds and the Prime Minister is accused of leading a cover up.
Conservative leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick has said the Prime Minister says he is ‘seriously concerned that facts may have been withheld from the public’, while his contender Kemi Badenoch added that there are ‘serious questions to be asked’ of authorities.
But senior lawyers and Whitehall sources have slammed the vying Tory candidates as ‘offensive’ and ‘simply despicable’ as they accused them of peddling conspiracy theories and ‘undermining public faith’.
No 10 says any suggestion of them withholding information is ‘not correct’, adding that their thoughts remain with the victims of the attack.
It was yesterday revealed that the teenager accused of stabbing three young girls to death while they were attending a Taylor Swift dance camp has been charged with producing a biological toxin, Ricin.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, is also charged with possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism. Yesterday, they said the events had still not been declared a terrorist incident because no motive had been established.
Cops repeatedly insisted at the time that the holiday camp bloodbath in Hart Street, Southport was not being treated as terror-related.
Three months after the attack, the chief constable of Merseyside Police said 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana has been charged with production of a biological toxin, Ricin
Tory leadership candidate Robert Jenrick said he was ‘seriously concerned that facts may have been withheld from the public here’
Mr Jenrick’s rival, Kemi Badenoch, said there are ‘serious questions to be asked’ of the authorities
And Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy today insisted it was ‘certainly not the case’ that police were deciding to keep information from the public.
Rudakubana is already charged with the murders of Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and Bebe King, six on July 29. He is also accused of ten attempted murders and possession of a knife.
The killings sparked large scale riots, fuelled by misinformation on social media, in towns and cities across the UK.
Jenrick last night spoke amid building fury over his latest charges, including being charged with having a study of a terrorist manual after one was found at his home, police said.
‘The Government and authorities told us for months they were not treating this as a terrorist incident,’ the former immigration minister said.
‘This atrocity was of immense public concern. The public had a right to know the truth straight away.
‘Any suggestion of a cover-up will permanently damage public trust in whether we’re being told the truth about crime in our country.
‘Keir Starmer must urgently explain to the country what he knew about the Southport attack and when he learned it.
Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, one of the three children killed in a knife attack during a Taylor Swift event at a dance school in Southport
Bebe King, six, was also fatally stabbed at the holiday camp in Southport on July 29
Silva Aguiar, 9, also died in the attack after she was fatally stabbed at the dance club
‘Across the board the hard reality of mass migration is being covered up. We need the truth – and we need to change.’
Rudakubana was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents and moved to the Southport area in 2013. He was living in Banks, Lancashire, at the time of the attack.
His rival, Kemi Badenoch, said there are ‘serious questions to be asked’ of the authorities.
She tweeted: ‘After the Southport murders and the ensuing protests and riots, some people asked me why I wasn’t commenting. This is why. Too many on all sides rush to conclusions before all the facts are clear.
‘As more information emerges, it is quite clear that there are serious questions to be asked of the police, the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] and also of Keir Starmer’s response to the whole situation. Parliament is the right place for this to happen.
‘While we must abide by the rules of contempt of court and not prejudice this case it is important that there is appropriate scrutiny.’
Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, posted a video on Twitter in which he said: ‘In the wake of the horrific murder of those three girls in Southport in July of this year, I asked some questions saying “please tell us the truth – stop the online speculation”.
Rudakubana seen in a court sketch when he appeared in Liverpool in August
Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, posted a video on Twitter after Rudakubana was charged with a terror offence
‘Well it has taken a long time to find out more about the individual. He has now been charged, believe it or not, under the Biological Weapons Act because the police have found Ricin in his home.
‘He has been charged under the Terrorism Act, alleged to have downloaded Al-Qaeda terrorist materials.
‘But the murder of the girls, and the serious injury of the others, that is still being treated as a non-terror incident because they don’t know what the motives were.
‘We’ve also been told this afternoon there are other facts that we don’t yet know because the Crown Prosecution Service say they will come out in good time in court and are not to be discussed now.
‘So that’s alright then? That all makes sense to you, doesn’t it? Yes, absolutely.’
Speaking at the press conference, chief constable Serena Kennedy, said: ‘I would strongly advise everyone to avoid speculation about the motivation in this case.
‘The criminal proceedings against Axel Rudakubana are live and he has a right to a fair trial.
‘It is extremely important that there is no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online that could prejudice these procedures.’
And government sources have blasted the comments made by Jenrick and Badenoch, branding the Tory hopefuls ‘simply despicable’.
Downing Street said the Prime Minister’s thoughts remain with the families of the Southport attack victims, saying suggestions facts had been withheld were ‘not correct’
Residents look at floral tributes for the victims of a deadly knife attack in Southport on July 31
One told The Times: ‘What these comments show is that — whichever candidate wins the Tory leadership — a party which used to stand for law and order, and respect for the police, is headed for a future built on conspiracy theories and the undermining of public faith in our institutions and public servants.
‘In the best of circumstances, that lurch into the politics of division and distrust would be hugely depressing, but to do it on the back of the heartbreaking losses in Southport is simply despicable.’
Also speaking to the broadsheet, former chief prosecutor for northwest England accused the pair of being ‘more than distasteful’ and ‘offensive’.
He continued: ‘People have undoubtedly been traumatised by what happened and it’s offensive to them to suggest that somehow they were part of some kind of conspiracy. The natural course of an investigation of this type of complexity often leads to new alleged evidence and new potential charges. That’s not new and never been new.’
The top lawyer continued to The Guardian: ‘The kind of comment Mr Jenrick has made when proceedings are active, any statements that could prejudice proceedings are unacceptable and may be unlawful.’
The former head of the UK’s counter-terrorism policing Neil Basu also condemned Jenrick as ‘stupid’ and ‘irresponsible’.
He told the newspaper: ‘This is irresponsible, and repeating the mistakes of others, failing to calm a very volatile situation which we faced this summer.
‘I think he is stupid, he’s trying to win an election, and he is trying to whip up support among his base. He has made a stupid mistake.’
Floral tributes were left for the victims of the deadly knife attack in Southport
Downing Street said the Prime Minister’s thoughts remain with the families of the Southport attack victims, saying suggestions facts had been withheld were ‘not correct’.
A No 10 spokeswoman said: ‘The Government is focused on ensuring the families and all those affected receive justice, and first and foremost the Prime Minister’s thoughts are with those families and the local community. His thoughts remain firmly with them.’
Asked about the suggestion facts had been withheld from the public, they added to The Telegraph: ‘That’s not correct. Charging decisions are independently made by the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service], and I would point you to the CPS’s statements and statements from the police. It’s for them to speak to those decisions.’
Downing Street denied the Government had been involved in decision-making about the timing of an announcement about charges against the Southport attack suspect.
Asked if there was any Government involvement in decisions on the timing, a No 10 spokeswoman said: ‘No, charging decisions and when those are made are for the CPS.’
She also said it was ‘not correct’ to say the Government had been involved in withholding facts from the public.
The spokeswoman added: ‘Charging decisions are independently made by the CPS and I would point you to the CPS’ statement and statements from the police.’
Flowers and tributes outside the Atkinson Art Centre Southport ahead of the visit by King Charles III in July
The latest charges came after searches of Rudakubana’s home in Banks, Lancashire, Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said at a press conference on Tuesday.
The alleged terror offence relates to a PDF file entitled Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual.
Searches were carried out in the days after the attack, although it was not confirmed when the ricin was found.
According to the charges, authorised by the CPS on Tuesday, the toxin was produced on or before July 29, and Rudakubana was charged with possessing the document between August 29 2021 and July 30 2024.
A provisional trial date for the teenager has been set for January next year.