Police Should Step In If Troublemakers Travel To Incite Riots After Southport Attack, Says Government Adviser – Uk Politics Live

John Woodcock says there is ‘concerted and coordinated’ attempt to spread violence after stabbings at children’s holiday class on Monday

There is potential for more violence in the wake of the Southport attack, a Home Office minister has said, as he warned those planning on organising further disorder “we will be watching you”.

Asked how concerned the government is about the prospect of further disorder on the streets this weekend, David Hanson told LBC Radio:

There is that potential. But I always say to anybody who’s organising this, we will be watching you. If you are organising this now, we will be watching you.

We have powers under existing legislation to stop you organising this now and to take action accordingly, and if you do take action and are not part of any organised group, be prepared to face the full force of the law on this criminal activity.”

Some individuals will have far-right opinions, in my view, some might be caught up in the summer madness. Some might be people who’ve got genuine concerns.

Whatever those concerns are, there are mechanisms where they can raise them with their member of parliament, they can peacefully protest and they can take those issues forward.”

Whilst senior politicians like Farage should be condemning these people – he’s not, he’s excusing them.

He’s giving them some legitimacy to go out and perpetrate some of these acts.”

That is a far-right politician once again trying to direct policing and law and order. He doesn’t speak for tens of millions of people, the prime minister does – who has to serve the whole population, not just the ones he likes.

And this is not the first time a politician has tried to interfere with operational policing, particularly from that section of politics.”