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Starmer: police to remain on 'high alert' heading into the weekend
The prime minister has said the police are to remain on “high alert” as the country heads into the weekend after days of violent disorder and unrest in England and Northern Ireland.
Despite large scale anti-racism protests on Wednesday night appearing to have halted the far-right violence in England, Keir Starmer said: “My message to the police and all of those that are charged with responding to disorder is maintain that high alert.”
The prime minister said he believed the swift processing of rioters in the courts had an deterring effect, telling broadcasters: “I’m absolutely convinced that having the police officers in place these last few days, and the swift justice that has been dispensed in our courts have had a real impact. But we have to stay on high alert going into this weekend because we absolutely have to make sure that our communities are safe and secure and feel safe and secure.”
Starmer met with London’s Met police chief Mark Rowley and Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine at the force’s Lambeth command and control base for a briefing on the police’s response to public disorder.
Asked if the start of the football season would complicate policing at the weekend, the prime minister said: “I think there were a lot of things in the mix this weekend but of course, whatever the challenge, we have to rise to it.
“That’s why I’ve had Cobra meetings, that’s why I’ve been talking to the police today about their plans for the weekend. Yes, football is added into the mix, there are other things in the mix, but our focus has to be absolutely solely on the safety and security of our communities, and that’s exactly where it is.”
Due to a new television deal with Sky Sports, for the first time on the opening weekend 3pm kick-offs on the Championship have all been moved to 12.30pm, and all Saturday’s League One fixtures start at 5.30pm, lengthening the amount of time during the day that police can expect supporters to be travelling.
The prime minister also warned users of social media that it is not “a law free zone”, adding “I think that’s clear from the prosecutions and sentencing. Today we’re due sentencing for online behaviour. That’s a reminder to everyone that whether you’re directly involved or whether you’re remotely involved, you’re culpable, and you will be put before the courts if you’ve broken the law.”
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Here is a video clip of the prime minister speaking earlier today. Keir Starmer said that the police must remain on “high alert” for any possible disorder.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy has said she welcomes the BBC’s decision to launch an independent review after the Huw Edwards case.
The corporation announced on Friday that it had asked Edwards to pay back the salary he earned during the period after his arrest in November last year, after his guilty plea to charges of having indecent images of children.
PA Media reports Nandy said:
Public trust in the BBC is essential, and so I welcome the BBC’s decision to launch an independent review into the culture within the organisation following the Huw Edwards case and his abhorrent actions.
The BBC is a hugely valued and important player in the public service broadcasting landscape that reaches millions every day and it is vital that the public has complete trust and faith in the organisation and in how it is run.
BBC staff must be able to feel safe in the workplace and be confident that if non-editorial complaints are raised they will be acted upon and dealt with fairly and decisively.
The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the government, however I have spoken to the BBC chair in the past week to convey these points in the interests of the public.after
Ben Quinn and Vikram Dodd report for the Guardian:
Police are examining the potential for violence to break out at forthcoming football fixtures in the wake of unrest in cities across England after the killings of three young girls in Southport.
Existing assessments of fixtures are being looked at again in the light of the recent events, and individual forces are working closely with league officials and the Football Policing Unit (UKFPU).
Each of this weekend’s fixtures will be assessed to see whether more officers are needed inside or outside the ground, when fans mill around before the game, or as they go home. Assessments also cover whether more officers might be needed where fans congregate, such as city or town centres.
Read more here: Police assessing football fixtures in England for risk of violence
Lancashire police said five more people have been charged in connection with disorder in the county over the past week. Two men are expected to be the first to face jail for stirring up racial hatred after the riots, with sentencing of Jordan Parlour in Leeds and Tyler Kay in Northampton due after they posted material online.
Starmer: government has to 'look more broadly at social media after this disorder'
The prime minister has said his government needs to “look more broadly at social media after this disorder” in a warning to social media companies.
Asked about whether Elon Musk should be “mindful” of who he lets on to the social media platform which he owns, Keir Starmer said “I think people should be mindful of the first priority, which is to ensure that our communities are safe and secure.”
When questioned on Sadiq Khan’s comments that the Online Safety Act was not fit for purpose, Starmer said “I do agree that we’re going to have to look more broadly at social media after this disorder but the focus at the moment has to be on dealing with the disorder and making sure that our communities are safe and secure.”
Eleni Courea and Rowena Mason have this profile of Conservative leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick:
Last week, Robert Jenrick held a launch event in his constituency where he put cutting migration at the centre of his pitch. This week, he was widely criticised for saying that any protester who shouts “Allahu Akbar” should be arrested – seen by many as a deliberate attempt to ingratiate himself to Tory members who are sympathetic to Farage and Reform. “He is the credible face of Reform-leaning Conservatism,” a Tory centrist who lost their seat this summer said.
Colleagues of Jenrick, a former corporate lawyer who studied at Cambridge, say he has always been extremely ambitious. “His heart was never in commercial law. I think it was always in politics,” a Tory MP who has known Jenrick for more than a decade said. Jenrick’s extensive property portfolio became a focus during his 2014 byelection campaign, at a time when David Cameron and his party were accused of being out of touch.
Jenrick’s political career took off after he endorsed Boris Johnson in the 2019 Conservative leadership contest, for which he was rewarded with the role of housing secretary. Quite quickly afterwards he was engulfed in scandal over his decision to approve a £1bn property development proposed by Richard Desmond against the advice of officials. The controversy did not immediately end Jenrick’s cabinet career, but he faced further difficulties – including allegations that he broke lockdown rules to visit his parents in April 2020 – before he was eventually sacked in September 2021.
When Rishi Sunak became prime minister in October 2022, he made Jenrick immigration minister on the basis that he was a loyalist who could keep an eye on the troublemaking home secretary Suella Braverman. A Tory strategist who has worked with Jenrick said he was “sent in to watch Suella to make sure she didn’t do anything too stupid”.
Read more here from Eleni Courea and Rowena Mason: How did Robert Jenrick go from centrist Tory to anti-immigration hardliner?
Starmer: police to remain on 'high alert' heading into the weekend
The prime minister has said the police are to remain on “high alert” as the country heads into the weekend after days of violent disorder and unrest in England and Northern Ireland.
Despite large scale anti-racism protests on Wednesday night appearing to have halted the far-right violence in England, Keir Starmer said: “My message to the police and all of those that are charged with responding to disorder is maintain that high alert.”
The prime minister said he believed the swift processing of rioters in the courts had an deterring effect, telling broadcasters: “I’m absolutely convinced that having the police officers in place these last few days, and the swift justice that has been dispensed in our courts have had a real impact. But we have to stay on high alert going into this weekend because we absolutely have to make sure that our communities are safe and secure and feel safe and secure.”
Starmer met with London’s Met police chief Mark Rowley and Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine at the force’s Lambeth command and control base for a briefing on the police’s response to public disorder.
Asked if the start of the football season would complicate policing at the weekend, the prime minister said: “I think there were a lot of things in the mix this weekend but of course, whatever the challenge, we have to rise to it.
“That’s why I’ve had Cobra meetings, that’s why I’ve been talking to the police today about their plans for the weekend. Yes, football is added into the mix, there are other things in the mix, but our focus has to be absolutely solely on the safety and security of our communities, and that’s exactly where it is.”
Due to a new television deal with Sky Sports, for the first time on the opening weekend 3pm kick-offs on the Championship have all been moved to 12.30pm, and all Saturday’s League One fixtures start at 5.30pm, lengthening the amount of time during the day that police can expect supporters to be travelling.
The prime minister also warned users of social media that it is not “a law free zone”, adding “I think that’s clear from the prosecutions and sentencing. Today we’re due sentencing for online behaviour. That’s a reminder to everyone that whether you’re directly involved or whether you’re remotely involved, you’re culpable, and you will be put before the courts if you’ve broken the law.”
Some jailed rioters could be released early due to scheme to tackle prison overcrowding
Rajeev Syal
Rajeev Syal is home affairs editor of the Guardian
Rioters jailed over recent disorder could be released from prison early under a scheme to tackle overcrowding, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed.
Last month, ministers announced that they were changing the law to allow some criminals to leave prison early because of a lack of jail space.
Criminals serving determinate sentences would be able to leave after serving 40 per cent of their custodial sentence rather than the current 50 per cent.
Some of those found guilty of violent offences in connection with the riots have been given sentences lower than the four-year limit. At Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday, three were given sentences of three years, 30 months and 20 months.
The release points for those convicted of involvement in violent disorder will depend upon the offence they are convicted of and the sentence they receive.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The Government has brought in over 500 new prison places early, to ensure there is a cell waiting for everyone involved in the recent disorder and thuggery.
“The justice secretary was forced to introduce the emergency capacity measures last month, to address the prison crisis the government inherited.”
Police in Northern Ireland promise to stop disorder as more demonstrations planned for Belfast
Rory Carroll
Rory Carroll is the Guardian’s Ireland correspondent
Police in Northern Ireland are bracing for potential fresh clashes in Belfast on Friday when rival groups are due to gather outside the city hall.
A police spokesperson promised a “significant” security operation in Belfast on Friday even though reinforcements from Scotland will not arrive until next week.
An anti-racism rally is scheduled at 4.30pm and an anti-immigrant one is expected at 5pm, presenting another challenge for a force over-stretched by five consecutive nights of disorder.
The chief constable, Jon Boutcher, said 120 officers from Scotland who were trained in public order would arrive next Tuesday to bolster his exhausted force. “The PSNI will deal with this disorder … we will stop it,” said Boutcher.
Earlier this week the Police Federation for Northern Ireland said chronic underfunding had left the Police Service of Northern Ireland at “breaking point”.
Sporadic incidents on Thursday night – bricks thrown at officers, a car set on fire, house windows smashed – were smaller-scale than previous nights, when rioters emulated the disorder in England that erupted after the killing of three girls in Southport.
However the protests planned on Friday prompted Queen’s University Belfast to close its campus for the day. Some city centre businesses are considering closing early. On Thursday the police said a purported police statement circulating on social media that urged businesses to close at 2pm was fake.
Scotland’s first minister has told social media companies “immediate action” must be taken to crack down on disinformation and racism.
John Swinney said police chiefs in Scotland have raised concern at the length of time it takes for technology companies to remove “problematic” posts, telling social media bosses:
It is clear to me that social media platforms have a duty to take action to ensure that individuals in our society are not subjected to hate and threatening behaviour, and that communities are protected from violent disorder.
Everyone has a role in stopping the spread of misinformation. You and your platform have a specific responsibility to do so.
Given the seriousness of the situation, action needs to be immediate and decisive.
A 40-year-old man has pleaded guilty to a charge assault by beating of a police officer at a protest in Southampton on Wednesday, PA Media reports.
A 19-year-old man has been charged in connection with violent disorder in Liverpool last week, Merseyside police said. Cleveland police said two men from Hartlepool have been charged with violent disorder, and a 49-year-old man in the West Midlands has been charged with possessing an imitation firearm after video was circulated on social media on Monday.
