Extremists trying to tear us apart, says Rishi
Sunak in impromptu No 10 speech
PM condemns ‘shocking increase in extremist disruption
and criminality’ in wake of Gaza war, in sometimes rambling address
Peter
Walker Deputy political editor
@peterwalker99
Fri 1 Mar
2024 21.11 CET
Rishi Sunak
has claimed extremist groups in the UK are “trying to tear us apart”, in a
hastily arranged Downing Street statement that came hours after George Galloway
won a byelection in Rochdale.
Standing
outside No 10 late on Friday, the prime minister condemned what he called “a
shocking increase in extremist disruption and criminality” after the 7 October
massacre by Hamas and the Israeli invasion of Gaza.
He also
claimed democracy itself was a target, as he condemned the election of
Galloway, who easily won the seat in Rochdale on a platform that focused on
anti-Israel sentiment over Gaza.
However, in
a sometimes rambling and seemingly contradictory 10-minute address, Sunak made
points likely to anger MPs on the right of the Conservative party such as
Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, who have sought to frame recent tensions
as almost entirely the responsibility of Islamist extremists.
Sunak was
at pains to stress the recent abuse of Muslim Britons as well as the Jewish
community, and to highlight the threat from far-right groups as well as
Islamists.
“Don’t let
the extremists hijack your marches,” he said, directly addressing those who had
taken part in the series of huge protests across the UK.
“You have a
chance in the coming weeks to show that you can protest decently, peacefully
and with empathy for your fellow citizens. Let us prove these extremists wrong
and show them that even when we disagree, we will never be disunited.”
But the
Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, responded: “The British people will take no
lessons from a prime minister and Conservative party who have sowed the seeds
of division for years.”
Sunak
added: “Yes, you can march and protest with passion, you can demand the
protection of civilian life. But no, you cannot call for violent jihad.”
But he
failed to address stinging criticism of MPs in his own party, or his own
failure to call out their remarks.
He spoke
less than a week after Lee Anderson, the former Conservative party deputy
chair, had the whip withdrawn following remarks about the mayor of London,
Sadiq Khan, that were widely condemned as offensive and Islamophobic.
Braverman
and Liz Truss have also been criticised and accused of deliberately stoking
divisions.
In parts of
Sunak’s impromptu speech, which was announced with minimal notice, he painted a
picture of political bedlam which some opponents argue is overstated.
“In recent
weeks and months, we’ve seen a shocking increase in extremist disruption and
criminality. What started as protests on our streets has descended into
intimidation, threats and planned acts of violence,” he said.
“I need to
speak to you all this evening because this situation has gone on long enough
and demands a response not just from government, but from all of us.”
There were,
he said, “forces here at home trying to tear us apart” by taking advantage of
the “very human angst that we all feel about the terrible suffering that war
brings to the innocent, to women and children, to advance a divisive, hateful
ideological agenda”.
The address
contained no new policies, beyond a vague commitment for a “robust framework”
for government to tackle extremism at its roots.
But Sunak
did urge police to make greater use of existing powers to tackle things such as
protesters disrupting political meetings or projecting images on to parliament.
He said:
“This week, I’ve met with senior police officers and made clear it is the
public’s expectation that they will not merely manage these protests, but
police them. I say this to the police: we will back you when you take action.”
It was
after the meeting with police on Wednesday that Sunak said there was “a growing
consensus that mob rule is replacing democratic rule”, an assessment civil
liberties groups and others said was concerning and a potential harbinger of
even tougher anti-protest laws.
He said:
“The prime minister is right to advocate unity and to condemn the unacceptable
and intimidatory behaviour that we have seen recently.
“It is an
important task of leadership to defend our values and the common bonds that
hold us together.
“Citizens
have a right to go about their business without intimidation and elected
representatives should be able to do their jobs and cast their votes without
fear or favour.
“This is
something agreed across the parties and which we should all defend.”
Davey said:
“This is the same prime minister who made Suella Braverman his home secretary
and Lee Anderson his party’s deputy chairman.
“If the
prime minister is serious about bringing people together, he would call a
general election now so that the British public can decide the future of our
country.”
Galloway
said he did not understand Sunak’s suggestions that he glorified Hezbollah but
hoped they could discuss it next week if the prime minister “has the guts”.
Sunak said
the newly elected MP for Rochdale “dismisses the horror of what happened on
October 7”, “glorifies Hezbollah” and is “endorsed by Nick Griffin, the racist
former leader of the BNP”.
“I’m not
responsible for whoever declares they endorse me … I’ve never met Mr Griffin
and have no intention to,” Galloway told Channel 5 News.
“I don’t
know what the glorifying of Hezbollah is all about but maybe he can tell me on
Wednesday at prime minister’s questions if he’s got the guts.”
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