Yesterday evening Ed Davey sent an email to members in response to the public violence over the past week. It says:
The last ten days have been immensely difficult for our country.
First, the horrific attack in Southport that claimed the lives of three innocent young girls.
Then, the far right extremists who exploited this tragedy to incite and commit appalling acts of violence. Violence that targeted Muslims, asylum seekers and communities of colour.
These thugs do not speak for Britain or our values. But how we respond does.
My response to last night’s events:
It is heartwarming to see so many people of all backgrounds and all walks of life standing peacefully together in solidarity against racism, Islamophobia and violence.
We are indebted to our brave police officers who put themselves in harm’s way to keep our communities safe.
— Ed Davey (@EdwardJDavey) August 8, 2024
Already, we have witnessed some of the best of British values in action. Communities coming together to clean up the damage. Standing in solidarity with their neighbours and friends who have been targeted.
Making it clear that hatred will never divide us, and unity will prevail.
Watch Layla on Newsnight:
“”We are seeing our communities absolutely rejecting this hate and racism, deciding instead that they are going to stand in solidarity, that they are going to find a way to express that this does not happen in their name” @LaylaMoran pic.twitter.com/2ALNfvBg3g
— Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) August 7, 2024
Racism and Islamophobia have no place in our society. We must work together to consign this hatred to the history books – and I’m proud of what Liberal Democrats are already doing to make this a reality.
Like calling on the government to adopt a formal definition of Islamophobia, and immediately appoint a new independent adviser on Islamophobia:
Read my op-ed in The Muslim News.
There is much to be done to ensure that everybody can feel safe in their communities. But there’s reason to be hopeful, too.
Last night, we witnessed thousands of people standing peacefully together in solidarity against racism, Islamophobia and violence.
It was proof that the UK is the open, tolerant and compassionate country we all know and love. That people from all backgrounds are welcome here. And that riots and racism will never triumph.
In our own Lib Dem family, I am proud of how we work together as one team with much diversity. So please check in with your friends, colleagues, and neighbours. There are many in our communities right now who feel hugely vulnerable – and need to know that our party is standing with them in love and support.
We must keep this spirit alive. So we will keep working together – to support our communities and stamp out hatred, in all its forms.
* Mary Reid is a contributing editor on Lib Dem Voice. She was a councillor in Kingston upon Thames, where she is still very active with the local party, and is the Hon President of Kingston Lib Dems.
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4 Comments
The Nobel Prize winning Economist Paul Krugman recently wrote about “How the ‘unforced error’ of austerity wrecked Britain”
It was this austerity that has led to the rise of the far right, and the decision for Brexit. Whichever view we take on the issue it’s pretty obvious the vote would have gone the other way but for the economic situation we’ve been in since 2010. Of course the recent riots can’t be totally disconnected from this trend.
We don’t have to know much history to spot a link between economic issues and the rise of anti-democratic forces.
It would be good if Rachel Reeves would discuss with Prof Krugman what she should do to rectify the situation. Not every economist takes the Thatcherite approach that she does.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2024/jun/28/how-the-unforced-error-of-tory-austerity-wrecked-britain
I don’t have any support for the far right but Keir Starmer is clearly disregarding the principle of the separation of responsibilities by interfering to ensure that those accused of riot related offences are tried and jailed in a matter of hours after being charged.
It’s for Parliament to make the laws and the judiciary to enforce them.
We all surely know that the judiciary doesn’t move at all quickly! It takes time to collect the evidence, assess witness statements, assess any mitigating factors and to ensure everyone has a fair trial.
Except when they are told otherwise by the PM apparently.
“It takes time to collect the evidence, assess witness statements, assess any mitigating factors and to ensure everyone has a fair trial.”
Peter you seem to be assuming there will be no court cases. There will be. However, many have admitted their guilt – so no trial for them. If you commit a crime in front of television cameras, along with loads of CCTV and many more people taking recordings on their i-phones I expect some of these violent thugs realised that going to trial makes no sense.
The statement would have been better had it also included a condemnation of anti-semitism given that anti-semitic incidents have doubled in the last few months.