INDEPENDENT MPs slammed the Labour government today for not going far enough in identifying the anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim hatred behind the riots that have swept Britain.
In a letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, five MPs, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, accused the government of giving “succour to those seeking to sow hatred and division.”
When people are under attack for the colour of their skin and their faith, the government’s “references to ‘understandable fears’ send mixed messages,” the letter argued.
“Instead of pandering to those who have helped ferment the ugly racism behind these protests, we expect our government to call out the bigotry and Islamophobia behind them and stand shoulder to shoulder with its victims.
“We reject any narrative that seeks to blame asylum-seekers and immigrant communities for the decades of austerity and the subsequent decline in stable and well-paid jobs that has eroded the fabric of once-secure communities.”
The issue was also raised by independent MP Zarah Sultana on Good Morning Britain.
Ms Sultana, who became the youngest MP from a Muslim background when elected in 2019, was repeatedly interrupted while pointing out that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has failed to describe the riots as Islamophobic.
As she tried to explain the direct correlation between the language used by politicians and that used in the current protests, presenter Ed Balls, a former Labour MP who is married to the home secretary, repeatedly talked over her and said: “I think if you fail to manage immigration properly, then things go wrong.
“Do you believe in controlling and managing immigration?”
Only going as far to condemn “far-right thuggery,” the Prime Minister said following a Cobra meeting that there would be a “standing army” of specialist police officers to tackle the unrest.
He vowed to “ramp up criminal justice” and top judges in England and Wales have given the green light to allow courts to sit for longer to deal with an expected surge in prosecutions.
Labour MPs including Diane Abbott and Dawn Butler have called for Parliament to be recalled.
They were even joined by Reform leader Nigel Farage, who helped whip up hatred following the Southport murders.
However, the PM rejected the calls, saying: “My focus is on making sure that we stop this disorder, that the criminal sanctions are swift and be seen to be followed.”
The unrest has swept Britain with violent scenes in cities including Southport, Liverpool, Hull and Sunderland, after the far-right seized on the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport to spread misinformation about the attack and whip up racist violence.
