The shocking attack overnight on a Jewish volunteer ambulance service in London should horrify anyone who believes in a decent, civilised society. Four vehicles belonging to Hatzola, an organisation providing lifesaving emergency care, were deliberately set on fire in what police are treating as an antisemitic hate crime.

Let us be absolutely clear about what this represents. This was not just vandalism. It was not just criminal damage. This was an attack on a community, on people trying to save lives, on the very idea that we can live together in mutual respect. It must be condemned without hesitation or qualification.

But if we are serious about confronting hatred, we must also be consistent. Just as antisemitism must be called out wherever it appears, so too must the growing problem of anti-Muslim hatred in our country. Britain has also seen attacks on mosques and violence directed against Muslims in recent times, including incidents linked to rising Islamophobic rhetoric.

There is a dangerous temptation in politics and on social media to treat racism and religious hatred as if they are competing problems. As if acknowledging one somehow diminishes the other. As if we must choose which prejudice we take seriously. This is not just morally wrong. It is intellectually bankrupt.

Hatred is hatred. Whether it targets a synagogue or a mosque. Whether it is directed at a Jewish paramedic or a Muslim family. Whether it comes from the far Right, the hard Left, religious extremism, or conspiracy-fuelled online toxicity.

Liberals must reject the politics of selective outrage. Our values only mean something if we apply them consistently. The truth is that most British Jews and most British Muslims simply want the same things: to live peacefully, to raise their families safely, to practice their faith freely, and to feel that they belong in the country and communities they call home.

They are not enemies. They are neighbours. And yet too often, extremists on all sides try to import overseas conflicts on to British streets. They seek to divide communities that, in reality, have far more in common than those who spread hatred would ever admit.

We must refuse to let them succeed. That means political leadership that is prepared to speak honestly about antisemitism and Islamophobia alike. It means policing that treats hate crime seriously regardless of who the victim is. And it means the rest of us have the courage to challenge prejudice from wherever it comes. Because consistency is the real test of principle.

If we say we stand against racism, we must stand against all racism. If we say we defend religious freedom, we must defend it for all faiths. If we say minorities deserve protection, that protection cannot depend on who they are. The alternative is a tribal politics where empathy depends on identity and justice depends on who is shouting the loudest. This is not justice at all.

The attack in London should be a wake-up call. Not just about antisemitism, but about the poison of hatred in all its forms. The answer to hate cannot be more division. It must be solidarity. Because, in the end, the fight against antisemitism and the fight against Islamophobia are not separate struggles. They are the same struggle: the fight for a Britain where everyone is safe, everyone belongs, and everyone is treated with equal dignity.

And that is a cause we liberals must never be afraid to lead.

Liberalism means defending rights – even when it’s unpopular

I was back on GB News early this morning, taking part in what proved to be a lively but good-natured debate about whether certain prisoners should have the right to vote.

My argument was simple: if we believe in rehabilitation, then we should at least be prepared to have an honest conversation about whether low-level, non-violent, first-time offenders, serving short sentences should automatically lose their democratic voice. Citizenship should not necessarily be something that can be switched off and on again at the prison gate. Most prisoners will return to our communities. If we want them to return as responsible citizens, we should think carefully before we exclude them entirely from civic life.

This is not about being “soft on crime,” as critics sometimes claim. It is about being serious about what justice is actually for. Justice must punish, yes – but it must also rehabilitate, reintegrate, and reduce reoffending.

Liberalism does not mean only defending popular causes. It means defending what is right, even when it may be unpopular.

Why we’ve launched Sunday Papers with Mathew & Andy

Yesterday saw the launch of a new project that is very close to my heart; Sunday Papers with Mathew & Andy, a new YouTube show where my good friend Andy and I discuss the big stories making the national Sunday newspapers.

The idea is simple. Two friends, sometimes agreeing, sometimes disagreeing, but always trying to make sense of the news in a way that is accessible, thoughtful, and (I hope) engaging. At a time when our national discourse can often feel angry and polarised, I believe that people can disagree without being disagreeable.

We’ve made a good start and I’m excited to see where it goes next. If you’d like to follow the journey, you can find us on the Yellow Rebel YouTube channel. Cheers!

* Mathew Hulbert is a former Councillor, is a regular commentator on TV and Radio, and is Co-Host of the Political Frenemies podcast.