UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to lead an emergency Cobra meeting today, joined by top police officials, in response to the widespread rioting that has gripped the nation over the weekend. The meeting comes after Starmer’s stern warning to the far-right thugs responsible for the violence, disorder, and looting in towns and cities across England, targeting asylum seekers and mosques.
In his emergency statement from No10 last night, the PM made it clear that those involved in the riots will face severe consequences. “I guarantee you will regret taking part,” he said, addressing both the direct participants and those inciting the violence online. Starmer emphasized that this is not a protest but rather “organised, violent thuggery,” and assured the public that those responsible will face the full force of the law, with arrests, remand, charges, and convictions to follow.
The PM’s statement came in the wake of an attack on a Holiday Inn Express housing asylum seekers in Rotherham, where crowds assaulted police officers and smashed windows, leaving residents and staff in “absolute fear.”
Starmer condemned the rioters as “marauding gangs intent on law-breaking or worse” and said that there is no justification for such actions. Amid the Nazi salutes, racist rhetoric, and attacks on mosques, the PM did not hesitate to label the violence as “far-right thuggery.”
Home secretary Yvette Cooper also strongly denounced the “criminal, violent” attack on the hotel, calling it “utterly appalling” and highlighting the fact that the perpetrators deliberately set fire to a building known to have people inside. She assured that South Yorkshire Police have the full support of the government in taking the strongest action against those responsible.
The violence was not limited to Rotherham; in Middlesbrough, police officers in riot gear were attacked with bricks and burning debris-filled wheelie bins. Arrests were made in Nottingham’s Market Square during the disorder, and police in Sunderland conducted raids on homes and made arrests in connection with Saturday’s violence. In response to the attacks on mosques, the Home Office has announced “emergency security” measures and allocated over £50 million to protect faith communities.
In his emergency statement from No10 last night, the PM made it clear that those involved in the riots will face severe consequences. “I guarantee you will regret taking part,” he said, addressing both the direct participants and those inciting the violence online. Starmer emphasized that this is not a protest but rather “organised, violent thuggery,” and assured the public that those responsible will face the full force of the law, with arrests, remand, charges, and convictions to follow.
The PM’s statement came in the wake of an attack on a Holiday Inn Express housing asylum seekers in Rotherham, where crowds assaulted police officers and smashed windows, leaving residents and staff in “absolute fear.”
Starmer condemned the rioters as “marauding gangs intent on law-breaking or worse” and said that there is no justification for such actions. Amid the Nazi salutes, racist rhetoric, and attacks on mosques, the PM did not hesitate to label the violence as “far-right thuggery.”
Home secretary Yvette Cooper also strongly denounced the “criminal, violent” attack on the hotel, calling it “utterly appalling” and highlighting the fact that the perpetrators deliberately set fire to a building known to have people inside. She assured that South Yorkshire Police have the full support of the government in taking the strongest action against those responsible.
The violence was not limited to Rotherham; in Middlesbrough, police officers in riot gear were attacked with bricks and burning debris-filled wheelie bins. Arrests were made in Nottingham’s Market Square during the disorder, and police in Sunderland conducted raids on homes and made arrests in connection with Saturday’s violence. In response to the attacks on mosques, the Home Office has announced “emergency security” measures and allocated over £50 million to protect faith communities.