Keir Starmer has said there will be no “letup” in action against the far right and that would-be rioters had been deterred by police and swift sentences.
The prime minister will chair another Cobra meeting with law enforcement officials on Thursday afternoon to “reflect on last night” and plan for the coming days.
Shops were boarded up across England on Wednesday in response to the threat of more than 100 planned anti-immigration rallies, but in most places these failed to materialise after thousands of peaceful anti-racism demonstrators turned out.
After a visit to a mosque in Solihull, Starmer told broadcasters: “I think the fact we didn’t see the disorder that was feared is because we had police deployed in numbers in the right places, giving reassurance to communities.
“We were able to demonstrate the criminal justice system working speedily, so yesterday we saw the sentencing of individuals who had been involved in disorder days ago, some of them getting sentences as long as three years. That sent a very powerful message.”
He said it was “important that we don’t let up here and that’s why later on today I will have another Cobra meeting with law enforcement, with senior police officers, to make sure that we reflect on last night but also plan for the coming days”.
Earlier the policing minister, Diana Johnson, said rioters had been deterred by the administration of “swift justice” and that the speedy mobilisation of police officers had had a deterrent effect. She warned there would be further arrests and charges brought against suspects.
Johnson told BBC Breakfast that the counter-demonstrations had showed the UK’s “tradition of peaceful protest”.
“The police response, the numbers, the mobilisation that we’ve seen to get the police officers on to our streets and to be available if disorder occurs is really important and has had a good effect.
“We saw one case yesterday of a man who punched a police officer going to prison for three years. So I think that swift justice is really important.”
She added: “Over 400 people have been arrested, I’m hoping – and I know – that number will increase today. We’ve got over 140 people charged: that number will go up as well. We will start to see again today more people going into court and receiving sentences.”
Two men were jailed for two years and eight months each at Liverpool crown court on Thursday for their parts in the disturbances. William Morgan, 69, of Walton, was sentenced after admitting violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon, and John O’Malley, 43, of Southport, was sentenced after admitting violent disorder.
Three men were jailed on Wednesday for up to three years after admitting violent disorder after riots in Liverpool city centre.
Johnson said: “It’s not just those physical acts on the street that we are going to make sure people are brought to account for, but it’s also what’s happening online.
“If you do stuff online, we will come for you just as much as we will come for you for what you do on the streets of our country, if you are carrying out criminal disorder and violence.”
The head of the Metropolitan police, Mark Rowley, said his officers had been conducting early morning raids on Thursday targeting people suspected of causing disorder in Whitehall last week.
A police spokesman said later that 10 people had been arrested, taking the total number detained to 121.
Responding to the events on Wednesday night, Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said on X: “To those who came out peacefully to show London stands united against racism and Islamophobia last night – thank you.
“To our heroic police force working round the clock to keep Londoners safe – thank you. And to those far-right thugs still intent on sowing hatred and division – you will never be welcome here.”
According to the Stand Up to Racism campaign group, about 25,000 people took part in the counter-protests on Wednesday. This included about 8,000 in Walthamstow, 7,000 in Bristol and 2,000 in Liverpool, with similar numbers in Brighton and Newcastle.
The Metropolitan police said about 50 people had gathered on North End Road in Croydon, south London, and had “made clear their intention is to cause disruption and fuel disorder”. There were 10 arrests after some of those gathered threw objects down the road and bottles at police officers. The Met said: “This is not linked to protest, this appears to be pure antisocial behaviour”.
Dozens of police officers in Aldershot separated opposing groups after tempers flared on Wednesday evening. In Bristol, Avon and Somerset police said officers had made an arrest after a brick was thrown at a police vehicle during a “largely peaceful” protest.
