Britain has shifted away from prejudice, but are we facing a dangerous new time?

‘It is in the nature of integration to be invisible when it works’: Residents hand out flowers and doughnuts outside Southport mosque as a gesture of friendship after violent attacks by the far right Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer

Bebe, Elsie and Alice were just six, seven and nine. A Taylor Swift dance class sounds like the perfect summer holiday activity. For the three little girls, it became the nightmare beyond any parent’s most fearful imagining.

Yet we were not allowed to focus on mourning the victims, as those who gathered at Southport’s large, peaceful vigil on Tuesday sought to do. Instead, the incomprehensible act of slaughter that claimed three young lives has triggered senseless reactions. First, riots and disorder targeted at a mosque in Southport. And, this weekend, there has been a concerted effort to spread ugly prejudices against migrants, Muslims and minorities around Britain.