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Nigel Farage has been condemned for his response to the Southport stabbings, with the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox accusing the Reform leader of “inciting a riot”.
Three young girls were killed on Monday in an attack which took place during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. Eight other children suffered stab wounds and at least two are still in a critical condition, alongside two adults who are also still in hospital.
In the wake of the attack, rioting broke out in Southport, resulting in 27 police officers being taken to hospital. Police have said they believe the men involved are part of the far-right English Defence League.
On Tuesday afternoon, before the riots began, Mr Farage had posted a video to social media responding to the attack, questioning why the incident was not being treated as terror-related and asking whether the “truth is being withheld from us”. He also asked whether the suspect, who is 17 and has not been identified, was being monitored by the security services.
In a statement the same day, Merseyside Police had stressed the “incident is not currently being treated as terror-related”.
Hitting out at Mr Farage’s response, Brendan Cox said: “Imagine your response to the death of three children being to peddle conspiracy theories that incite a riot.
“This is why Farage deserves the label far-right. Everyone who is associated with him, has normalised him or promoted him should be ashamed. This is vile.”
Ms Cox, the former Batley and Spen MP was killed by far-right terrorist Thomas Mair in June 2016, a week before the EU referendum took place.
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner said Mr Farage should not “stir up these fake news online” about the reasons behind the Southport knife attack.
Ms Rayner told LBC Radio that, as an MP, the Reform UK leader has “a level of responsibility”, “and it’s not to stoke up what conspiracy theories or what you think might have happened”.
She continued: “There’s a responsibility to say the police are doing a difficult job, local authorities, all of the services that are on the ground.
“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.”
Ms Rayner added that it is “really painful” for people caught up in the trauma to “see online that what’s happened to them is somehow been debated”.
Labour MP Jess Phillips also criticised Mr Farage, claiming he was “grifting” and pointing out that he failed to turn up to Parliament for a statement on the incident.
Ms Phillips, the MP for Birmginham Yardley, said: “Nigel Farage could yesterday have had the questions, he claims are unanswered, answered if he had bothered to turn up to parliament and ask them during the statement on the incidents in Southport. He didn’t turn up, he grifted instead.”
And former SNP leader Humza Yousaf suggested the riots took place as a result of Mr Farage being given “endless air time to demonise communities”, adding: “This is the end result.”
Meanwhile, former MP Tobias Ellwood accused the MP for Clacton of “deliberately inflaming tensions”.
He said: “I lost my brother to terrorism. To ramp up hatred online by claiming the Southport attack was terrorist related (culminating in riots, a mosque damaged and 27 police injured) is not just reprehensible but needs addressing. Otherwise it will happen again.
“Disgusted how a sitting MP deliberately [inflames] tensions without any justification. Farage should delete this tweet.”
Metro mayor of Liverpool Steve Rotheram said rioters were “whipped up into a frenzy” by social media.
He said: “What we saw last night was infiltration by people from all over the country, stirred up by social media and then whipped up into a frenzy whereby they were attacking the very people that everybody earlier in the day was celebrating for being the heroes, for running towards danger.
“It leaves a very sour taste in the mouth that these people believe they can come here and divide our community.
“They won’t be doing that and the haters won’t win out.”
Mr Rotheram added: “It’s too easy for people with nefarious intent to go online and to say things that aren’t factual and then for people to believe those things and really I think anybody who listens or watches anything online should do it with a large dose of salt.”
Responding to Ms Phillips’ criticism, Mr Farage said “it’s perfectly reasonable to ask what is happening to law and order”.
Addressing Mr Cox’s claims the Reform UK leader “whipped up” rioters Mr Farage said: “Absolutely disgraceful comment, nothing of the kind.
“I merely expressed a sense of sadness and concern that is being felt by absolutely everybody I know – what the hell is going on?
“It started off the week before in Kent, when a Lieutenant Colonel in full military uniform is stabbed in the street and I was told that Kent Police wanted to play the incident down. I got that on the highest level.
“So I think it’s quite legitimate to ask questions as to what the hell is going on.
“And then of course we had Southend at the same time with machete gangs fighting in the streets… I think it’s perfectly reasonable to ask what is happening to law and order in our country.
“And who are the perpetrators? Why? Very legitimate questions I was asking, and to conflate that with EDL or anybody else, frankly, it’s desperate stuff.”
Asked about Mr Cox saying he is “nothing better than Tommy Robinson in a suit”, the Clacton MP added: “The comment is beneath contempt.”
