Closing summary
We’re closing the blog now, here’s a summary of the day’s main developments:
Prime minister Keir Starmer has announced a new “capability” across police forces to combat the violent disorder seen in parts of England and called those behind it a “tiny, mindless minority in our society”
Police chiefs, with whom Starmer met earlier in the day, welcomed the government’s commitment to tackling the issue
Starmer also warned large social media companies that “violent disorder clearly whipped up online is also a crime and it is happening on your premises”. However, he added the government would work with companies to help solve the problem
A former counter-terrorism police chief has accused Nigel Farage of helping incite violence that broke out in Southport after the killing of three children in a knife attack this week. However, Starmer refused to be drawn on Farage’s comments
Away from Southport developments, Suella Braverman has said she will not defect to Reform UK unless she is “driven out” of the Conservative party. But in her first interview since abandoning her bid to replace Rishi Sunak as party leader, the former home secretary warned that the Tories have “no chance of winning the next general election” as long as Nigel Farage’s party “is a viable alternative”
And finally, GPs in England are to stage industrial action for the first time in 60 years amid a row over funding, a move that experts have warned could have a catastrophic effect on the entire healthcare system
Updated
Cleveland Chief Constable Mark Webster said the events in Hartlepool were “mindless thuggery”.
Asked what the motivation was for the disorder, he said:
There is an opportunity to go out and damage things, and just exhibit a bit of violence.
I don’t think there is a principle at stake, this was not a legitimate protest or demonstration.
I think there is some mindless thuggery and that’s why we are being really proactive to go out and arrest people.
There’s no excuse for last night.
We’ve got a bit more from chief constable Gavin Stephens, who – when asked about recent violence in parts of the country – said it was not “up to us to comment on people’s motivation and ideologies”.
He added: It’s for us to address the criminality that we see.
This is crime, it’s violent disorder. Whatever might motivate you to do that, it is not welcome in the communities that you’ve been to, you are just putting further pain and suffering on those families that are bereaved, and now is a time for support together and to get calm.
Whatever the criminality is, however it manifests itself, we’re ready to deal with it.
He continued:
In the long term, we do need reinvestment in neighbourhood policing, in policing, understanding those issues that really affect local communities so we can respond to them.
That’s one of the founding principles of policing across the UK, that we are part of our communities, that we understand their issues, and that we want to be there alongside them to deal with them.
Chief constable Gavin Stephens, of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, welcomed discussions with the government about tackling violent crime.
Speaking outside No 10, Stephens said:
We’d like to express our sincere condolences to the bereaved and all those communities that have been affected by the awful subsequent disorder.
We very much welcome the discussions with government on how we pull together co-ordination across UK policing. As we speak, colleagues are meeting to make sure that we have the necessary resources to make sure communities are properly kept safe and feel safe in the wake of what we’ve seen.
I would say as well that all of us in positions of responsibility, whether that’s community leadership, leaders of big technology companies, we all have a responsibility to think about the society that we want to create.
This is a time for us to pull together and to assure our support to those families and communities that have been deeply affected by this.
What did Starmer say in his press conference?
Starmer said that, following his meeting with police chiefs earlier, a new violent disorder unit would be set up to help forces clamp down on rioters such as those who caused trouble in the wake of the Southport attack
He also warned large social media companies that “violent disorder clearly whipped up online is also a crime and it is happening on your premises”. However, he added the government would work with companies to help solve the problem
The PM said he would “take every step that is necessary” to protect muslim communities, after the Muslim Council of Britain urged mosques to strengthen security measures ahead of Friday prayers
Starmer refused to be drawn on comments from individuals such as Nigel Farage, who has been accused of stirring up tension after the Southport attack
Finally, he said the government has “already made a commitment to increasing police numbers” after he was asked if his announcement will increase the number of officers on the streets.
Keir Starmer said the government has “already made a commitment to increasing police numbers” after he was asked if his announcement will increase the number of officers on the streets.
Put to him that the new Labour MP in Hartlepool said Cleveland police were “simply overwhelmed”, and asked if the announcement would increase the number of police officers on the street, Starmer said:
Well, we’ve already made a commitment to increasing police numbers. That’s a commitment we made into the general election, and particularly police officers to work in neighbourhood policing.
That did come up in the meeting today in terms of the capability that’s needed, but, look, to be frank, what happens in the next few weeks matters, and that isn’t a question on its own of recruitment, which takes longer, it is a question of coordinating the response, making sure the capability that we’ve got to share intelligence, shared data, have a coordinated response, and to act as quickly as possible in cases so that arrests are followed swiftly by charging.”
Asked if he will be providing extra police resources and preparing “any clampdown on the far-right groups that are being blamed for this”, Starmer replied:
In relation to the violence that we’ve seen, the whole point on pulling together the meeting today was to have a coordinated response.
The clear message from police and law enforcement is not that they need more powers – I think we have to wean ourselves off the idea that the only response is to pass more legislation every time we have a challenge in front of us – is to use the existing powers that we’ve got.
Pulling together the intelligence, the data, making sure that that is being shared across police forces, and that as these groups sort of bounce from chief constable to chief constable around the country, we have the same robust response to them. And that we’re clear that this is violent disorder. It’s not protest, and that needs to be the starting position of the police in response to it.”
Starmer added that “there’s a balance to be struck” with social media platforms in efforts to tackle misinformation online.
He said:
Inciting violence online is a criminal offence and that is not a matter of free speech. It is a criminal offence.
Clearly, in relation to platform providers, there’s a balance to be struck. Social media platform providers, it’s an amazing opportunity that we all enjoy as a country that is very important to us that these platforms are there to be used for the great opportunities that they provide.
There is also a responsibility that goes with it. That’s a space for a mature conversation to take place.”
The prime minister was also asked about the comments from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, where he insinuated the truth was being held from the public in relation to the identity of the attacker in Southport.
Starmer replied:
In relation to the comments of others, look, I’m not going to stand here and cast judgment on what others are saying.
I know what I’m saying and I know why I’m saying it very, very clearly, which is my focus whenever I’m confronted with any questions about this is on the families and victims of those, particularly in Southport who were so affected by this.”
Keir Starmer has said the government “blaming everybody else and pointing fingers” does not work well when asked what consequences there would be for social media firms who fail to take action over misinformation.
The prime minister said “there is a discussion to be had” about companies striking the “right balance”, warning social media “carries responsibility”, but suggested he wanted to “work together” to keep the country safe.
He added:
What has not worked well recently with the previous government, in my view, is the performative politics of a government blaming everybody else and pointing fingers. That approach to me is not effective.
My approach is different, which is to roll my sleeves up, get the relevant people around the table and fix the problems, and meet the challenges that we have as a country.
We did that with law enforcement and police this afternoon – similar approach with social media, which is not performative politics which gets us nowhere, but the politics of service, which is to actually work together to address the challenges that we have and make sure that we keep the country safe and respect the values of our fellow citizens, which are about law enforcement, security and safety.”
Starmer outlines new violent disorder unit and says 'thugs' must have policing response similar to football hooligans
Speaking during a press conference held after a meeting with senior police leaders, Keir Starmer thanked police officers who “stood up to intimidation and violence”.
He said the meeting was held to “pull together our response, response both to the immediate challenge which is clearly driven by far-right hatred, but also all violent disorder that flares up whatever the apparent cause or motivation”.
Starmer added:
We make no distinction. Crime is crime. And so, to that end, I can announce today that, following this meeting, we will establish a national capability across police forces to tackle violent disorder.
These thugs are mobile, they move from community to community. We must have a policing response that can do the same. Shared intelligence, wider deployment of facial recognition technology and preventive action, criminal behaviour orders to restrict their movements, before they can even board a train. In just the same way that we do with football hooligans.
Let me also say to large social media companies and those who run them: violent disorder, clearly whipped up online, that is also a crime, it’s happening on your premises, and the law must be upheld everywhere.
That is the single most important duty of government, service rests on security. We will take all necessary action to keep our streets safe.”
Starmer has said he would like to see greater use of criminal behaviour orders, such as those used in football hooliganism cases, to crackdown on organised riots.
Asked about the disparities in number of arrests between the riots in Southport and London, Starmer said:
I don’t think you’d simply measure the number of arrests and say there’s an inconsistency because that will depend event by event.”
He added:
In relation to preventive measures. One of the issues that came out this afternoon was criminal behaviour orders which can be attached to convictions for these sorts of offences, which then give the police and the authorities the ability to put their arms around and have a tighter grip on those that have already shown their true colours, have been convicted.
And I would personally like to see more use of those orders in the same way that they’re used in football hooligan cases to stop people travelling, identify and prevent their patterns of behaviour, because these are not people going to protest.
You don’t go to a protest with a rock in your hand. You go to commit violent disorder and we need to be really clear about that and I think those orders would help us in the preventive space.”
Updated
Keir Starmer said “nobody but nobody” involved in rioting should “pretend they are speaking” for the grieving families as he warned:
The far right are showing who they are – we have to show who we are in response to that.”
The prime minister said:
Nobody but nobody should pretend that they are speaking for those families when they involve themselves in activity like this.”
He added:
Mosques being attacked because they’re mosques – the far right are showing who they are. We have to show who we are in response to that.”
Starmer says he will take 'every step' necessary to keep Muslim communities safe
Keir Starmer will take “every step” necessary to keep Muslim communities safe, the prime minister said at a press conference on Thursday after the announcement of a new police unit as far-right violent sparks across the country.
“I will take every step that is necessary to keep you safe,” said Starmer, responding to ITV journalist, Shehab Khan’s question of what the government’s message is to those in the community feeling unsafe in light of the rise in violence.
“The far right is showing who they are, we have to show who we are in response to that,” he said, adding that the new police taskforce in order to “ensure safety for all citizens”.
The statement comes after the Muslim Council of Britain on Thursday urged mosques to strengthen security measures ahead of Friday prayers, and called on the government to offer support to Muslim communities and tackle the rise of Islamophobia.
Updated
'Violent disorder clearly whipped up online is also a crime', says Starmer in warning to social media companies
Also during the press conference, Starmer warned large social media companies that “violent disorder clearly whipped up online is also a crime and it is happening on your premises”.
He added: “We will take all necessary action to keep our streets safe”.
Starmer vows not to permit a 'breakdown of law and order'
Keir Starmer has said the riots in reaction to the stabbings in Southport are “not protest” and “not legitimate” as he vowed not to permit a “breakdown of law and order”.
The prime minister said:
Make no mistake, whether it’s in Southport, London or Hartlepool these people are showing our country exactly who they are.
Mosques targeted because they’re mosques, flares thrown at the statue of Winston Churchill, a Nazi salute at the Cenotaph.
And so I’ve just held a meeting with senior police and law enforcement leaders, where we resolved to show who we are. A country that will not allow understandable fear, to curdle into division and hate in our communities and that will not permit under any circumstances, a breakdown in law and order on our streets.
Because let’s be very clear about this. It’s not protest. It’s not legitimate. It’s crime. Violent disorder. An assault on the rule of law and the execution of justice.
And so on behalf of the British people who expect their values and their security to be upheld. We will put a stop to it.”
Keir Starmer announces new 'capability' across police forces to combat violent disorder
Prime minister Keir Starmer has announced a new “capability” across police forces to combat the violent disorder seen in parts of England and called those behind it a “tiny, mindless minority in our society”.
At a press conference in Downing Street, the prime minister said “fear is an understandable reaction” to the attack, but called on everyone to give families the space to grieve and authorities time to do their job.
“There will be a time for questions and we will make sure that the victims and families are at the heart of that process,” he said.
Starmer said:
That’s the very least that we owe these families. But we also owe them justice. So, while there’s a prosecution that must not be prejudiced, for them to receive the justice that they deserve the time for answering those questions is not now.
I remind everyone that the price for a trial that is prejudiced is ultimately paid by the victims and their families, who are deprived of the justice that they deserve.
Let me now turn to the actions of a tiny, mindless minority in our society, because in the aftermath attack, the community of Southport had to suffer twice.
A gang of thugs got on trains and buses, went to a community that is not their own, a community grieving the most horrific tragedy, and then proceeded to throw bricks at police officers – police officers who just 24 hours earlier had been having to deal with an attack on children in their community.”
Updated
Prime minister Keir Starmer said the “actions of a tiny, mindless minority in our society” has meant that the community of Southport have had to “suffer twice”.
Speaking during a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Starmer said that the meeting earlier at Number 10 Downing Street with police leaders, the home secretary and justice secretary, was “not about pointing the finger of blame”.
Instead, he said, it was to “pull together our reponse … both to the immediate challenge, which is clearly driven by far-right hatred, but also all violent disorder that flares up, whatever the cause or motivation.”
Updated
Keir Starmer will hold a press conference at 4pm today after his earlier meeting with senior police leaders.
The prime minister will speak about the gathering with policing leaders and take questions from the media, after scenes of violent unrest.
You can follow via the live stream here:
Updated
Far-right riots: Starmer to announce setting up of new violent disorder unit
A new national violent disorder unit is to be set up to clamp down on rioters, the Guardian has learned, in the wake of far-right riots this week.
Keir Starmer is expected to make the official announcement as soon as Thursday, having agreed it with police chiefs at a crisis meeting.
The unit will aim to boost intelligence gathering and sharing on looming trouble and comes after police were surprised by the scale of disorder on Tuesday in Southport, with further disorder in London and Hartlepool on Wednesday.
The unit is intended to improve the gathering and sharing of intelligence on known “extremist troublemakers” from all parts of the ideological spectrum. It is also hoped to boost sharing of community tension indicators and the coordination of mutual aid, where specially riot trained officers are rushed from one area to another.
It is hoped that by boosting the number of specialist public order officers who can be rushed into an area of trouble, the number of arrests when violence breaks out can be increased.
The new unit will sit with the National Police Operations centre, which itself is part of the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
The plans were drafted by Downing Street and a source said police chiefs meeting Starmer in Downing Street on Thursday were in broad agreement.
The financing and details of the new unit will have to be ironed out.
You can read the full piece here:
Key event
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said he has “no doubt” Glasgow will reject the far right ahead of a planned protest, reports the PA news agency.
A “pro-UK rally” has been planned for the city’s George Square on 7 September, with English Defence League (EDL) founder Tommy Robinson – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – promoting the event on social media.
Plans for the rally come after violence in Southport, Merseyside, this week after the killings of three young girls in a knife attack.
Police say the scenes were sparked by supporters of the far right, claiming those present backed the EDL.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Sarwar said the “single most important issue” was to support the families of the children who were killed and the wider community of Southport.
Sarwar said:
I’m a son of Glasgow, I was born in Glasgow – Glasgow is my city.
I know as a Glaswegian, that we have always had a view – we can’t be complacent, we can’t pretend that there aren’t issues here – but we’ve always been a city that regardless where you come from, regardless of where you were born, when you come here you’re one of us and we’re one Glasgow.
There have been attempts by the far right before to do protests here or to sow divisions here. Every single time the far right has tried to do that in Glasgow, Glasgow has overwhelmingly rejected them. I have no doubt Glasgow will do that again if this happens.”
Sarwar was joined by Glasgow city council leader Susan Aitken, who wrote on social media:
Glasgow city council has received no notification of any rally but then we know Tommy Robinson and his ilk don’t really care about respecting laws or public places. He’s not welcome in Glasgow, and neither is anyone who chooses to align with his poisonous rhetoric.”
Sarwar went on to call on social media firms to do more, saying the far right is “recruiting, organising, amplifying, fundraising online”. He added: “All of that can stop if the social media platforms take the appropriate action.”
Updated
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has urged mosques to strengthen security measures ahead of Friday prayers, as far-right protests have flashed across the country following a knife attack that killed three children.
The announcement comes after far-right protesters on Tuesday pelted police with glass bottles and bricks and attacked a mosque in Southport. The MCB called the scenes deeply disturbing, and called on the new Labour government to offer support to Muslim communities and tackle the rise of Islamophobia.
“The last few days have witnessed shocking scenes of far-right thugs causing havoc in our streets and seeking to intimidate Muslim communities and mosques,” said MCB secretary general Zara Mohammed. She added:
Given reports of more planned protests, we encourage communities to be extra vigilant and to enhance security measures.”
Conservatives have 'no chance of winning' next general election 'as long as Reform is a viable alternative', says Suella Braverman
Suella Braverman has said she will not defect to Reform UK unless she is “driven out” of the Conservative party, reports the PA news agency.
In her first interview since abandoning her bid to replace Rishi Sunak as party leader, the former home secretary warned that the Tories have “no chance of winning the next general election” as long as Nigel Farage’s party “is a viable alternative”.
Asked about speculation that she might join Reform UK, Braverman told GB News:
I’m not going to defect to Reform, no. I hope I’m not driven out to Reform by my colleagues.”
Describing Lee Anderson, who defected from the Tories to Reform UK, as a “good friend,” she continued:
We should not be hounding out Conservatives, right-wingers, Eurosceptics, people who want to stand up for our flag and our faith as if they are somehow swivel-eyed loons. Lee Anderson should be a Conservative MP.”
Braverman also warned her party against “complacency” over the threat from Reform. She said:
I am absolutely confident that Reform can do better. Young people are voting more for Reform than they are for the Conservatives.
These facts alone should seriously alarm any Conservative leader and all Conservative MPs. I’m just concerned that there’s still a level of complacency.”
According to the PA news agency, the Fareham and Waterlooville MP declined to say whether the two parties should merge, but added:
Reform and the Conservatives cannot coexist in the way that they are. We will have no chance of winning the next general election as long as Reform is a viable alternative.”
Bowing out of the Tory leadership race last week, Braverman said there was “still no consensus” on what led the party to its worst-ever general election defeat and that she had been “vilified” by colleagues for setting out her view.
She told GB News she had given up all ambition to take the party’s reins, saying: “That will be it for me.”
Scotland Yard’s deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens, assistant commissioner Matt Twist, National Crime Agency’s director of operations Robert Jones and chief constables from Merseyside and West Yorkshire police all attended the Number 10 meeting.
Prime minister Keir Starmer, home secretary Yvette Cooper, justice secretary Shabana Mahmood and policing minister Dame Diana Johnson spoke with the officers.
According to the PA news agency, there were 19 attendees in total, including director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson, His Majesty’s chief inspector of constabulary Andy Cooke and police leaders Serena Kennedy and John Robins from the Merseyside and West Yorkshire forces.
Kennedy, the chief constable of Merseyside police, spoke to the meeting via video link. She told the assembled ministers and police leaders that the force was “determined to get justice” for the attack on Monday and to identify all those who took part in rioting on Tuesday in Southport.
Updated
'This is not protest, this is violent disorder' and 'action will be taken', says Starmer at emergency meeting
At a meeting in Downing Street to discuss recent violent disorder in some towns in England in the wake of the Southport stabbings, prime minister Keir Starmer told police leaders:
I wanted to send a message to each of you and through you, your officers, to say that this government supports the police, supports what you are doing and to be absolutely clear: This is not protest, this is violent disorder and action will be taken.
So, this government will make sure you have got the powers you need and will back you in using those powers.
Updated
Home secretary, justice secretary and police leaders arrive at Downing St for meeting with PM
Home secretary Yvette Cooper and justice secretary Shabana Mahmood have also arrived at 10 Downing Street for the prime minister’s meeting with police leaders.
Updated
At least a dozen police leaders have arrived for their meeting with the prime minister on Thursday afternoon.
The group entered 10 Downing Street and ignored questions from the gathered media about what they hoped to ask Keir Starmer, reports the PA news agency.
More police leaders are expected to arrive before the start of the meeting at 2.30pm.
Keir Starmer will hold a press conference at around 4pm today after his meeting with senior police chiefs about the disorder seen in London, Hartlepool and Manchester on Wednesday evening.
The prime minister will speak about the gathering with policing leaders and take questions from the media, after scenes of violent unrest.
Rioters clashed with police in Southport on Tuesday, attacking officers and setting a van on fire, after the fatal stabbing of three children in the Lancashire town on Monday.
Updated
The Scottish government should explore making its version of the winter fuel payment “more targeted”, the leader of Scottish Labour has said.
PA reports:
This week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the benefit would move from being universal to means-tested, sparking outrage in Scotland about a potential £160 million funding gap.
As part of the process of devolving social security, the Scottish government is due to take control of the benefit this winter.
Ministers have said the universality of the payment – which could be worth as much as £300 for pensioners – cannot be guaranteed.
But Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the announcement from the Chancellor presents an “opportunity” for the benefit in Scotland.
Speaking to journalists on a visit to a community project in Easterhouse, Glasgow, he said:
This is a new devolved benefit that’s going to come to Scotland this year now that the winter fuel payment is going to be devolved.
We have an opportunity to do that in a more progressive, fair way and I think the Scottish government should take that opportunity.
I don’t see the benefit in us giving a payment to those that frankly are millionaires and don’t need the money at a time when people are struggling to make ends meet and our public finances are in a difficult situation.
The MSP said he was “sympathetic” to those on the edges of receiving the benefit, who would likely lose out, adding he would work with the Scottish government to adjust the criteria north of the border if that was required.
The country needs to have a conversation about false information spread by the far right on social media, Hartlepool’s MP has said.
Jonathan Brash told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme:
The conversation we need to start having is about the way these far-right groups are disseminating false information on social media.
Because I see it almost every single day – straight-up lies about these situations designed to cause violence, to incite racial hatred, to incite people to violence.
We have to deal with that situation because there is so much misinformation and it’s being spread quite deliberately to stoke tension in communities and ultimately it’s the communities that are suffering as a result.
He added that the unrest “is not in any way, shape or form reflective of Hartlepool, its people, its values”, and that many people have got in touch to “express their absolute disgust” at what was seen on the streets last night.
He said:
This has clearly been co-ordinated on social media earlier in the day, so it’s not clear what the mix was in terms of who was there.
Updated
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has welcomed the interest rates cut, warning that “millions of people are still paying higher mortgage rates” following the 2022 mini-budget.
She said:
Homeowners will welcome this cut in interest rates, but I know that millions of people are still paying higher mortgage rates after the Conservatives mini-budget less than two years ago that sent interest rates and mortgage rates soaring.
That is why I am focused on taking the difficult decisions to fix the foundations of our economy so we can rebuild Britain and make every part of our country better off.
The Scottish Conservative party has published the timetable for its leadership election, after Douglas Ross stepped down during the general election campaign following a row about his last-minute attempt to win another Westminster seat. Ross had promised colleagues to focus on Holyrood in preparation for the 2026 Scottish parliament elections.
Although two candidates – current justice spokesperson and former journalist Russell Findlay and Brian Whittle, MSP and former Olympic sprinter – have already put themselves forward, the official process has now begun with nominations closing on Thursday 22 August, with candidates requiring the backing of 100 members. Ballots go out early September with the winner announced on Friday September 27.
This is of course well in advance of the UK party leadership contest, with the new leader not chosen until 2 November, and some concerns have been raised about whether this uncertainty will inhibit the Scottish contest, particularly when some MSPs have been pushing a discussion on whether the party should separate in some way from the UK party in order to cement a more distinctive centre-right identity in Scotland.
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has said policymakers will remain “highly alert” to signs that inflation might increase.
Speaking at a press conference, Bailey said the UK has “truly come a long way in returning inflation to target”, but that some indicators like persistent services price inflation remain a risk factor.
He said:
We need to watch this very carefully. The Monetary Policy Committee continues to pay close attention to services inflation as an indicator of persistence in domestic inflationary pressures, along with a range of other economic indicators.
We need to put the period of high inflation firmly behind us. And we need to be careful not to cut rates too much or too quickly – all the while monitoring the evidence on how inflationary pressures are evolving.
Monetary policy will need to remain restrictive for sufficiently long until the risks to inflation remaining sustainably around the 2% target in the medium term have dissipated further.
Updated
Former prime minister Rishi Sunak has suggested that Labour’s “inflation-busting public sector pay rises” could make it more difficult for the Bank of England to cut interest rates further.
He posted on X, formerly known as Twitter:
The @bankofengland has cut interest rates for the first time since 2020.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) August 1, 2024
That's good news for homeowners and shows Labour inherited a strong economy.
My concern now is that Labour's inflation-busting public sector pay rises have put further cuts at risk.
Former counter-terror chief accuses Nigel Farage of inciting Southport violence
A former counter-terrorism police chief has accused Nigel Farage of helping incite violence that broke out in Southport after the killing of three children in a knife attack this week.
Farage drew criticism from across the political spectrum for remarks he made in a video on Tuesday in which he questioned “whether the truth is being withheld from us” after the attack on Monday.
Neil Basu – a former senior Scotland Yard officer who was in charge of counter-terrorism from 2018 to 2021 – said there were “real world consequences” when public figures failed to “keep their mouth shut”.
“Nigel Farage is giving the EDL [English Defence League] succour, undermining the police, creating conspiracy theories, and giving a false basis for the attacks on the police,” he said, referring to the far-right, Islamophobic group whose supporters are believed to have been involved in the rioting in Southport.
“Has Nigel Farage condemned the violence? Has he condemned the EDL? Fomenting discord in society is what these people seem to exist for,” Basu added.
Farage said that it was “quite legitimate to ask questions”.
Others who criticised the Reform UK leader on Wednesday included the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, who said Farage had “a level of responsibility … and it’s not to stoke up what conspiracy theories or what you think might have happened”.
“There’s a responsibility to say the police are doing a difficult job, local authorities, all of the services that are on the ground,” she said in an interview on LBC.
“We have a responsibility to hold the community together and say let’s get the facts, and then let’s look at what the actual solutions are and what we can do about the horrific situation that we find ourselves in, not to stir up these fake news online.”
You can read the full piece by Vikram Dodd, Ben Quinn and Rowena Mason here:
The MP for Aldershot, Alex Baker, said she had been “liasing” with Hampshire police on Wednesday evening after a “significant incident at Potter’s international hotel in Aldershot”. Baker said this was due to a “peaceful protest” having “descended into intimidating behaviour”.
Posting on social media, Baker rebuked the violence, stating that there is “no justification for disorderly behaviour and the scenes do not represent Aldershot and Farnborough”.
She wrote:
I have visited the scene myself this evening and have been in touch with the chief inspector. This incident was exacerbated by people from outside our community who came here determined to cause unrest. I would like to pay tribute to the brave police officers who worked hard to restore order.
There is no justification for disorderly behaviour and the scenes do not represent Aldershot and Farnborough. We all support our shared right to peacefully protest, but we will not stand for people coming into our towns determined to stir up trouble and divide our community.”
— Alex Baker MP (@Ms_Alex_Baker) July 31, 2024
In Manchester, local councillor John Flanagan posted on social media in responce to violence in the city on Wednesday, labelling those involved in the “sickening” incident as “mindless idiots”.
“I’d like to condemn these mindless thugs, attacking innocent men who are asylum seekers. They have been there for months and we have not had any issues or problems. They have been in a place of safety,” the councillor for Newton Heath said.
Flanagan added:
It’s sickening to think they are being targeted because of their race or their religion, and I hope this isn’t tied with the disgraceful scenes in Southport where a mosque was attacked last night.
These idiots are attacking innocent people. My initial reaction is to contact GMP and support them. The whole of the city and reasonable thinking people will be horrified and sickened by these actions. Idiots is too soft of a word – I hope the police use the full force of the law.
We cannot allow our country and our city to descend into anarchy, which seems to be being driven by madness on social media.”
It comes after violence erupted in Southport on Tuesday after a vigil for three girls killed in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club.
Updated
The public will “pay the price with more strikes and higher taxes”, if Labour does not resolve industrial action by GPs, the Conservatives have said.
Shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins said:
After appeasing junior doctors with a budget-busting 22% pay rise, it comes as no surprise that other healthcare workers are feeling short-changed by the new Labour government.
Instead of caving in to unaffordable union demands, the Labour government must resolve this dispute or it is patients and the public who will pay the price with more strikes and higher taxes.”
The leader of the Unite trade union criticised the interest rate decision as being “too little, too late from the Bank of England” for working families.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:
Interest rates still stand at historic highs and this small cut will offer little help to workers struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and record housing costs.
Decisive action from both the Bank of England and government is urgently needed, including a clear roadmap for future rate cuts and a programme of serious investment in our public services and industry to get us out of this crisis.”
Responding to the Bank of England’s decision to cut interest rates to 5%, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson, Sarah Olney said:
There is finally light at the end of the tunnel for homeowners but sadly for millions the damage has already been done. Families across the country are already paying off sky high mortgage bills. The country is still reeling from Liz Truss’ disastrous mini-budget and years of economic failure under the Conservatives.
Today must serve as a reminder that governments should never treat budgets as an economic experiment for wild policies. We need a return to sound economics and stability after years of Conservative chaos and mismanagement.”
The Bank of England has cut interest rates to 5% at its August monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting, the first reduction of the UK’s base rate in four years, reports the PA news agency.
In a finely balanced decision, five committee members voted in favour of cutting rates, versus four who preferred to keep them unchanged.
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey said: “Inflationary pressures have eased enough that we’ve been able to cut interest rates today.”
Bailey, alongside policymakers Sarah Breeden, Swati Dhingra, Clare Lombardelli and Dave Ramsden voted in favour, while Megan Greene, Jonathan Haskel, Catherine Mann and Huw Pill voted to maintain the base rate at 5.25%.
The MPC indicated that continued progress on slowing wage growth and reducing services price inflation helped prompt the decision.
The Bank of England also announced on Thursday that it expects the UK economy to grow 1.25% this year, higher than its last forecast. But, it has kept its outlook for 2025 the same at 1%.
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For the latest episode of Politics Weekly UK, John Harris talks to the Guardian correspondent Hannah Al-Othman, who has been reporting from Southport.
Harris also speaks to political editor, Pippa Crerar, about her exclusive report on bullying allegations against the Conservative party leadership frontrunner Kemi Badenoch.
You can listen to the podcast here:
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The British Medication Association (BMA) said action by GPs in England will be a “slow burn” rather than a “big bang”.
Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, chair of the BMA’s GP committee for England (GPCE), said:
This will not be a ‘big bang’. It will be a slow burn. It’s likely that impact may not be felt for some time. We hope this will give the new government time to consider our proposed solutions including fixing our contract once and for all.
General practice should be the front door of the NHS, not the doormat. We don’t want to have to take this next step, but must if we’re to stop our services from collapsing completely.”
She added:
We had a huge response to this ballot, and the results are clear – GPs are at the end of their tether. This is an act of desperation. For too long, we’ve been unable to provide the care we want to.
We are witnessing general practice being broken. The era of the family doctor has been wiped out by recent consecutive governments and our patients are suffering as a result.”
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English GPs to stage industrial action over 1.9% budget increase
GPs in England are to stage industrial action for the first time in 60 years amid a row over funding, a move that experts have warned could have a catastrophic effect on the entire healthcare system.
In a ballot run by the British Medical Association (BMA), family doctors voted in favour of taking collective action in protest at the previous government increasing their budget by only 1.9% this year.
The disruption is likely to begin immediately and could last months.
GP partners will be able to choose what form of industrial actions to take from a selection set out by the BMA, the Guardian understands, and could bring the NHS to a standstill.
One option is to limit the number of patients GPs will see each day to 25. They may choose to stop performing work they are not formally contracted to do, and they could ignore “rationing” restrictions by “prescribing whatever is in the patient’s best interest”.
The development poses an enormous headache for Wes Streeting, the health secretary, just three days after he resolved a long-running pay dispute with junior doctors.
Junior doctors’ leaders in England agreed to a new pay deal with the government on Monday, which could lead to their wages rising by 22.3% over two years.
The last time GPs took “collective action” was in 1964 when family doctors collectively handed in undated resignations to the Wilson government. This led to changes including the Family Doctor Charter of 1965.
The BMA has said the new GP contract, which will increase funding for services by 1.9% in 2024-25, means many surgeries will struggle to stay financially viable. Patient groups have said industrial action would be “selfish” and warned that GPs risked harming those in need of care and losing the public’s support.
You can read the full piece here:
The leader of Edinburgh city council has called on first minister John Swinney to intervene and prevent refuse workers from taking strike action during the Scottish capital’s busy summer festival period, reports the PA news agency.
Cammy Day warned the eight-day strike later this month, announced by three local government unions, will be a “tough time” for the council, adding “the impact will not be pleasant over the festival time”.
Having already warned strikes could lead to a “stinking Scottish summer”, the unions Unison, Unite and the GMB all announced waste and recycling staff will walk out over pay from 5am on Wednesday 14 August to 4.59am on Thursday 22 August, with 26 of Scotland’s 32 councils affected.
According to the PA news agency, the action comes after the unions rejected the 3.2% pay rise offered, which local government body Cosla insisted was at the limit of affordability for councils.
A similar strike in 2022 was only resolved when the Scottish government stepped in and provided additional funding for council workers’ pay.
With the unions insisting the offer is less than that being made to their counterparts in England, Day urged Scottish ministers to “find that little more to avert strike action”.
He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme:
It is now time for John Swinney or his cabinet secretary to intervene with a solution, that is what we are waiting for.
Twenty-six councils will have strike action in two weeks’ time, and the only resolution to that will be if Cosla and the Scottish government can work with the trade unions to find a solution.
What we’re asking is for Cosla and the Scottish government to get round that table and find that little more to avert strike action across the 26 councils all over Scotland.”
The Labour councillor insisted local authorities are not able to stump up more cash themselves, saying the 3.2% offer was already a stretch for many of them and “any more would mean reductions and cuts in services from local government”.
Talks took place on Tuesday involving Scottish finance secretary Shona Robison, Cosla leaders and the unions.
The PA news agency reports that while no new deal was agreed Robison said afterwards that her officials will work with local government to “understand what an improved negotiating envelope may look like”.
Day said his understanding is the unions “expect no less than the national settlement, which was around 4%”.
He added:
I think we are nearly there, but local governments across Scotland are stretched to their maximum and we need the government, as they have done the last few years, to support local government and our trade unions and Cosla to find that little bit more and avert strike action.”
Hartlepool’s Labour MP Jonathan Brash said he was “appalled” by the disorder in the town on Wednesday night.
Speaking on Murray Street, where a clean-up operation was taking place, he told the PA news agency:
Businesses had their windows smashed, cars burnt out, this behaviour doesn’t represent the Hartlepool people. I know people will wake up and be absolutely appalled by what they see on social media and elsewhere.
The police have done a fantastic job, I will speak again to them today about what we do going forward to ensure that this won’t happen again.”
UK must apply existing Brexit deals before any reset in relations, says EU
Brussels has warned the UK that it must fully apply the existing Brexit deals on EU citizens and Northern Ireland before it will entertain a reset in the relationship with London.
A leaked document reported by the Financial Times lists eight demands of the new Labour government in order to “demonstrate the real UK government commitment” to a good-faith reset of the relationship with the EU.
EU leaders have said they are “open minded” about the future relationship with the UK, and Germany has said it is enthusiastic about a youth mobility deal.
They have also raised the possibility of a new EU-UK agreement that could encompass deals on mutual recognition of professional qualifications and other low-hanging fruit.
But the document, written by the European Commission and not diplomats, reflects the deep scars left by the previous government’s approach to the EU, with bloc sources telling the Guardian that the Brexit deal itself was not up for renegotiation.
The European Commission’s concerns were reportedly raised by the EU vice-president, Maroš Šefčovič, at his first meeting with the new EU relations minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds, in Brussels two weeks ago.
Brussels has specifically told the UK it must change the Home Office’s approach to EU citizens who had been in the UK for fewer than five years before Brexit.
You can read the full piece here:
The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has been sent an open letter by 22 charities calling on her to urgently review the change to the winter fuel payment for older people.
On Monday Reeves, announced a package of measures designed to close a £22bn hole in the public finances she said was “covered up” by the Conservative government. Among them was a surprise removal of winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.
Reeves announced that the winter fuel payment would no longer be universal in England and Wales, and that only pensioners on means-tested benefits would qualify for it this winter. This would take it away from about 10 million people. The payments are devolved, so Scotland and Northern Ireland will make their own rules.
Reeves said the government would continue to provide winter fuel payments worth £200 to households receiving pension credit or £300 to households in receipt of pension credit with someone over the age of 80.
In the letter, the organisations say:
“Linking the qualification of the winter fuel payment to whether an older person receives pension credit could mean up to 1.2 million older people on low incomes miss out on even more vital financial support. As a result, many of them will inevitably be pushed further into poverty
Restricting the winter fuel payment this autumn does not give the UK government time to significantly boost pension credit take-up to a level that would reduce some of the side-effects of this measure. It will leave many older people on low incomes facing a cold and dangerous winter.”
Independent Age, one of the charities leading the call, argues that pension credit has a low take-up of just 63%, “meaning up to 1.2 million older people who are eligible will now miss out on this additional support”.
Morgan Vine, head of policy and influencing at Independent Age said:
It is not an overstatement to warn that, in its current form, this sudden change puts lives as risk. Too many people on a low income now face an uncertain winter where their budgets are even more stretched and will be forced to make dangerous and stressful decisions.
While we understand that the UK government must make difficult decisions, this is too much, too soon. We urge the chancellor to not make this change now, and instead ensure every older person has an adequate income to avoid financial hardship before removing the winter fuel payment. Any less risks serious consequences for older people in poverty.”
The charity has invited members of the public to email their MP to ask for a halt to the changes.
📢 Take a stand against the changes to #WinterFuelPayment!
— Independent Age (@IndependentAge) August 1, 2024
Without action to protect older people in financial hardship, many are at risk of experiencing preventable harm this winter.
Ask your MP to support older people in financial hardship today:https://t.co/DCEv0f8WPn pic.twitter.com/qkVHoOoZJ4
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Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said there is “no place for criminality on our streets” as he described scenes in London last night as “completely unacceptable”.
Pledging his full support for the Metropolitan police to take action against those “intent on violence, causing disorder and spreading division in our city”, he added:
At this time of rising tensions, we all have a responsibility to pull together and reject hateful narratives, and ensure our towns and cities are safe and welcoming for everyone.
In London, our diversity is our greatest strength and we will always stand united against those spreading hate and division.”
The scenes of disorder and violence yesterday evening were completely unacceptable.
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) August 1, 2024
There is no place for criminality on our streets and I fully support the Met police taking action against those intent on violence, causing disorder and spreading division in our city.
Kemi Badenoch asked to use taxpayers’ money to pay for holiday flight, sources claim
Kemi Badenoch asked officials to pay for a holiday flight with taxpayers’ money to the US while in government but was rebuffed by her former department’s top civil servant, the Guardian understands.
Officials at the department for business and trade (DBT) ended up booking her travel to Texas for a family holiday in February last year, sources claimed, although the former cabinet minister covered the cost herself.
The ministerial code states that ministers are expected to uphold the highest standards of propriety and must not ask civil servants to act in conflict with their own code of conduct, including with public funds.
Badenoch had travelled to Mexico for an official visit to discuss the UK’s bid to join the CPTPP Indo-Pacific trade bloc, of which Mexico was a founding member, as well as bilateral trade with the country. Her business class flight there was covered by her department.
But before travelling, she asked the office of DBT permanent secretary, Gareth Davies, whether the department would pick up the bill for a flight to Dallas, where she was holidaying with her family, as the overall cost was lower than a business class return from Mexico.
Her request was refused amid concerns that a taxpayer funded detour would be hard to explain unless it was for official business, even if the flight was cheaper. The DBT said it was normal for permanent secretaries to advise on what was appropriate.
Sources close to Badenoch said she had been due to fly to Texas for an official visit with the state governor, Greg Abbott, to discuss a state-level trade agreement, but when the timings did not work out she covered the cost herself.
However, evidence seen by the Guardian suggests the former minister did ask the department to try to find a way to fund the flight even when there was no official reason for the trip.
Badenoch’s private holiday came within days of the trade department merging with the business department.
You can read the full exclusive report here:
Keir Starmer will host senior police leaders in Downing Street on Thursday afternoon after a second night of violent unrest across England.
The prime minister is expected to stress to police chiefs that those who perpetrate violence and “sow hatred” should be met with “the full force of the law”.
The meeting comes after a 17-year-old boy was charged with the murders of three girls. Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Bebe King, six, were fatally stabbed on Monday at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on Hart Street in Southport, Merseyside.
Eight other children suffered knife wounds, with five of them in a critical condition. Two adults were also critically injured.
The accused has been remanded in custody to appear on Thursday at Liverpool magistrates’ court.
The incident sparked violent unrest in London, Hartlepool and Manchester overnight on Wednesday, while a demonstration in Aldershot led to a tense standoff with riot police. Far-right demonstrations were organised after false claims that the attack was carried out by a Muslim asylum seeker who crossed the Channel in a small boat gained traction on social media.
At the meeting Starmer is expected to praise officers’ bravery in dealing with the incident in Southport and its aftermath, and commit to working in partnership with police forces across the UK to stop “mindless violence”.
In London, more than 100 people were arrested after protesters in Whitehall launched beer cans and glass bottles at police and threw flares at the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square.
You can read the full piece here:
Keir Starmer to meet police leaders as Southport attack leads to violent unrest
Good morning and welcome to the Guardian’s latest UK politics live blog. I’m Amy and I’ll be bringing you the latest updates today.
The prime minister, Keir Starmer, is to hold an emergency meeting with senior police officers in Downing Street after a second night of disorder and unrest in parts of England.
The meeting in Downing Street on Thursday afternoon comes after scenes of violent unrest in London, Hartlepool and Manchester overnight while a demonstration in Aldershot saw a tense standoff with riot police. In London, more than 100 people were arrested as violence flared after the Southport stabbings.
Starmer will meet with senior police leaders in Downing Street to express his full support for their efforts to deal with the violence and is expected to praise their “bravery” in dealing with the incident in Southport and its aftermath. Starmer will also encourage them to use their powers to “stop mindless violence in its tracks”.
Elsewhere, the justice secretary, Angela Constance, will visit Stirling police station at an event to mark the national phased rollout of digital evidence sharing technology. She will meet justice partners collaborating on the £33m Scottish government initiative to share digital evidence across the justice system.
This morning, the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar will visit a community group, during which he will set out how the government’s plans to boost workers’ rights will deliver for Scots. Of the employment rights bill to be introduced to the Commons within 100 days, Sarwar said: “Labour’s transformative plans represent the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation – they will fundamentally reset our economy and make it work for working people.”
I’ll also keep an eye out for any reaction to the Guardian’s exclusive on Kemi Badenoch that was published last night. The Guardian’s political editor, Pippa Crerar reported that Badenoch had asked officials to pay for a holiday flight with taxpayers’ money to the US while in government but was rebuffed by her former department’s top civil servant.
Officials at the department for business and trade (DBT) ended up booking her travel to Texas for a family holiday in February last year, sources claimed, although the former cabinet minister covered the cost herself.
I’ve been advised by the moderators that comments will not be open today for reasons of sensitivity, so if you want to get in touch then please email me at amy.sedghi@guardian.co.uk.
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