Keir Starmer can’t prosecute his way to real harmony.
The storm appears to have passed – for now. After the far-right riots that had been threatened across the country on Wednesday night failed to materialise, an uneasy calm has descended.
We can thank the wall-to-wall publicisation of arrests and sentencing hearings for that. Since the violence first broke out in the wake of the Southport attack there have been, as of yesterday evening, more than 900 arrests and 466 people charged, with sentences of up to three years in prison handed down. Seeing the stunned and dejected faces of rioters facing the justice system, realising how badly they have ruined their future prospects by “getting caught up” in the moment, is a strong deterrent. The rapid deployment of thousands of police officers, along with (we can safely assume) a robust behind-the-scenes response from the security services also played an important role. So, no doubt, did the anti-fascism counter-protests on Wednesday night that dwarfed the demonstrations they were organised to oppose. They sent a message: if you think the country is with you on this, think again. Followed by an evening of cold grey drizzle, it seems that was enough to skewer the momentum that has built up.
The storm appears to have passed – for now. After the far-right riots that had been threatened across the country on Wednesday night failed to materialise, an uneasy calm has descended.
We can thank the wall-to-wall publicisation of arrests and sentencing hearings for that. Since the violence first broke out in the wake of the Southport attack there have been, as of yesterday evening, more than 900 arrests and 466 people charged, with sentences of up to three years in prison handed down. Seeing the stunned and dejected faces of rioters facing the justice system, realising how badly they have ruined their future prospects by “getting caught up” in the moment, is a strong deterrent. The rapid deployment of thousands of police officers, along with (we can safely assume) a robust behind-the-scenes response from the security services also played an important role. So, no doubt, did the anti-fascism counter-protests on Wednesday night that dwarfed the demonstrations they were organised to oppose. They sent a message: if you think the country is with you on this, think again. Followed by an evening of cold grey drizzle, it seems that was enough to skewer the momentum that has built up.
