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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Adam Robertson

Growing calls for Parliament to be recalled following far-right riots

THERE are growing calls for the UK Parliament to be recalled following a weekend of violent disorder in England and Northern Ireland.

Diane Abbott, Zarah Sultana and a number of others, including Reform leader Nigel Farage, are among those to have called for the UK Parliament to be recalled.

Speaking on Sunday night, Keir Starmer said those participating in violence, including those “whipping up this action online,” would regret it.

Dozens were arrested in England and Northern Ireland on Saturday for their involvement in riots which saw a foodbank and library set on fire and a number of police officers injured.

Violence continued on Sunday as rioters in Rotherham set a hotel housing asylum seekers on fire, smashing windows and forcing their way into the building.

Writing on Twitter/X, Zarah Sultana, who was recently suspended from Labour for voting against the two-child cap, said: “Recall Parliament.”

(Image: Twitter/X)

Elsewhere, Diane Abbott said in a post on social media: “Nationwide anti-immigrant riots on a scale never seen before.

“Threatening life, property and our police force. We need to recall Parliament.”

Meanwhile, Reform MP Nigel Farage said he was “appalled by the levels of violence” seen over the weekend as he said the Government should not “not discount the use of the army”.

“Ever since the soft policing of the Black Lives Matter protests, the impression of two-tier policing has become widespread,” he said.

“The Prime Minister’s faltering attempts to address the current crisis have only added to that sense of injustice.”

Following Farage’s social media post however, Labour MP Clive Lewis said: “The point of any recall of Parliament should be emergency legislation to hold social media platforms responsible for incitement.

“Reform’s likely rejection of such legislation will expose them for the lynch-mob inciters they are.”

Starmer is expected to hold an emergency Cobra meeting on Monday following the riots while former home secretary Dame Priti Patel was also among those calling for MPs to return.

Speaking to LBC Radio however, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed the UK Government would not be recalling Parliament “right now”.

She said: “That’s not what we’re doing right now (recalling MPs). What we’re doing right now is keeping in close contact with MPs.”

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