Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper both addressed the riots that took place across England and Northern Ireland this summer in their Labour conference speeches.
The riots occured in August following the fatal stabbings of three young girls at a dance class in Southport, Liverpool.
During the series of violent disorders, several convenience stores were set on fire, looted, and severely damaged.
To date, approximately 300 individuals have been sentenced for crimes related to the riots. According to data from PA Media, about 43% of those sentenced are under 30, with 16% under 21.
In his first Labour conference speech as Prime Minister, Starmer said: “People concerned about immigration were not doing that because they understand that this country, this democratic country, is built on the rule of law.”
He also warned that “we do not settle them with violent thuggery” and condemned “racism as vile.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the August riots as acts of “arson, racism, and thuggery.”
She said the attacks were “the most shocking, violent insult to a grieving community and the police officers protecting them.”
Cooper added that while many people hold strong views on immigration, crime and the NHS, “they don’t pick up bricks and throw them at the police” or “set light to buildings with people inside.”
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