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Rarely in politics or public life does a “first test” — that media expression referring to an early, unexpected event — prove so definitive in the long term.
In July, far-right disorder erupted onto England’s streets following the spread of misinformation about the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport. False speculation suggested the attacker was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK on a small boat.
In other words: a cocktail of malicious conspiracy theories, stirred by social media algorithms, marched goons onto Britain’s streets. Faced with a fast-changing situation, Keir Starmer took a hands-on approach — bolstered by several public statements — to ensure that the disorder was brought to an end. He mobilised the justice system and fast-tracked offenders through it. Steered by his experience of dealing with violent unrest during the London riots in 2011 as the then-director of public prosecutions, it was roundly concluded that Starmer had passed his first test — a fact reflected in his approval ratings.
All the while however, Starmer’s response had been buffeted by inflammatory and pernicious accusations of a “cover up”: the suggestion, promulgated by the PM’s critics on the right, was that the government had concealed information to protect a broader agenda.
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On Monday, Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana pleaded guilty to 16 offences, including three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder at Liverpool Crown Court, as well as producing the deadly poison ricin and possessing an al-Qaeda training manual.
It emerged that Prevent, the UK’s counter-extremism programme, had failed to stop Rudakubana despite him being referred to it three times. In a subsequent statement, home secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed the 18-year-old had “contact with a range of different state agencies throughout his teenage years” before carrying out his “meticulously planned rampage”. She announced a wide-ranging public inquiry into the case to “get to the truth about what happened and what needs to change”.
This was the theme Starmer expanded on today in his morning Downing Street press conference. Addressing the case and how it spoke to serious state “failure”, the prime minister insisted difficult questions now need to be answered. Such questions, he added, should not be “burdened by cultural or institutional sensitivities and driven only by the pursuit of justice.
“That is what we owe the families.”
Starmer also stridently defended his actions surrounding the case. “We have only been focused on justice”, he told the assembled press.
He added: “If this trial had collapsed because I or anyone else had revealed crucial details while the police were investigating, while the case was being built, while we were awaiting a verdict, the vile individual would have walked away a free man.
“The prospect of justice destroyed for the victims and their families. I would never do that. And nobody would ever forgive me if I had. That is why the law of this country forbade me or anyone else from disclosing details sooner.
“Nonetheless, it is now time for those questions.”
Starmer went on to confront accusations of a “cover-up” head-on. He argued that an inability to deliver change, on the part of the Whitehall and Westminster system, has “become the oxygen of wider conspiracy.”
“I want to put on record that yesterday’s guilty verdict only happened because hundreds, if not thousands, of dedicated public servants worked towards it.
“Many of whom endured absolutely harrowing circumstances, particularly in the police and at the Crown Prosecution Service. That is their job, they are brilliant at it, and we should never forget their service to our country. Law and order depend on them.”
Nonetheless, the idea that Starmer should have spoken out earlier and, even, that he is still misleading Britons has proved pervasive. The lack of information released into the public domain about Rudakubana dominated the post-statement Q&A session — despite Starmer’s insistence that such an unprecedented intervention would have compromised the legal process.
At one point, Starmer was asked whether he regrets blaming the far-right for the riots that erupted in the wake of the Southport attack. The question was phrased as follows: “Given what we know now about the terror link and how it was kept from the public, do you now regret blaming the far-right for all those protests last summer?
“Was it a far-right issue or were some people entitled to be concerned?”
Starmer responded: “Responsibility for the violence lies with them that perpetrated it. I was in Southport the day after these terrible murders. I was acknowledging and thanking the frontline police officers and ambulance workers who had been at the scene. You can imagine what they had been through.
“They were back at work the next day. They were saying it was just their job. I could see in their eyes the impact it had had on them — what they had to deal with, what they had to see, how they endured that.
“As I arrived back in London, those same officers were putting their riot gear on, and having bricks thrown at them, those same officers.
“I don’t think anybody can justify that, nor should they attempt to do so.”
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The prime minister, over six months into his tenure, is still being probed on his first test. His position remains resolute despite the barrage of corrosive claims.
Speaking of: following the PM’s press conference, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice alleged the prime minister is “continuing to deliberately mislead the British people” and rubbished Starmer’s insistence that he “couldn’t say anything” as “nonsense”.
“It should’ve been declared a terror incident within 24 hours”, Tice told Sky News. “That is why the British people were so angry and are still raging.”
Nigel Farage has also put out a statement lambasting “cover up Keir”. The Reform leader said: “The prime minister is once again hiding behind the contempt of court argument. This is simply untrue, the country needed to know the truth about this murderer and that he was known to the authorities.
“Even MPs were banned from asking questions about this man’s background.”
In his statement this morning, the prime minister sent a clear message to his critics — who have responded by doubling down on their abrasive accusations. With an inquiry promised and likely law changes on the way, the row over Starmer’s handling of the Southport case is far from over. But the prime minister, as has been a prevalent theme in recent weeks, is confident in his moral, political and legal standing.
Reform, meanwhile, believes its fierce criticisms of the government benefit its political development as an opposition force. The Conservative Party is treading more lightly, having tentatively pointed to the “perceptions of a cover up” and insisted questions “need to be answered”. Kemi Badenoch’s inability to compete with Reform’s performative politics, while lending credence to its arguments, is an increasingly prominent feature of the fight on the right.
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‘Government has questions to answer’ about Southport attack aftermath, says Philp
Lunchtime soundbite
‘It was awful, I cannot tell you how it felt to constantly read the response from the government. It was inconsequential, unsubstantial, committed to nothing.’
— The chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, professor Alexis Jay, says she experienced complete silence from the Home Office after publishing 20 recommendations at the end of the seven-year inquiry, published in October 2022.
She added: “I raised it with her [Suella Braverman] and she was very vague and nothing more was heard until Mr Cleverly was appointed later that year.”
Now try this…
‘Trump’s return to the White House is a carefully choreographed display of brute force’
Trump’s team has learned how to weaponize his power over the Republican party to achieve their political goals, reports the Guardian’s Hugo Lowell.
‘Axel Rudakubana and the changing face of terrorism’
Unclear and hard-to-categorise motives of suspects pose rising challenge for security services, writes the FT’s Stephen Bush. (Paywall)
‘Labour whips urged to keep seven suspended MPs out of party’
PoliticsHome reports.
On this day in 2023:
Government needs to prioritise Childcare reform to boost growth
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