Sir Keir Starmer admits he knew of the Southport attacker’s terror ties but denies any cover-up, citing legal constraints on disclosure.
Southport: So, there’s been a lot of chatter about Sir Keir Starmer and the Southport attack. He’s come out saying he knew the attacker had terror links right after the incident where three young girls lost their lives.
But here’s the kicker: he’s denying any sort of cover-up. At a press conference, he explained that he couldn’t share that info back then because it might have messed with the trial. He was worried about justice for the families, you know?
When pressed about whether he held back details to avoid public backlash, he was pretty clear. He said the blame lies with the people who committed the violence, not him. He mentioned that it’s standard practice to know these details as they come out.
Starmer insisted that revealing those details too soon could have hurt the victims’ families even more. He pointed out that the law prevented him from sharing anything earlier.
Now, some folks, especially from the Tory party, are calling him out, saying it looks like a cover-up. They claim police knew about the attacker’s military study and toxic substances shortly after the attack but only revealed it later when charges were filed.
Even Nigel Farage jumped in, saying Starmer is just hiding behind legal arguments. He believes the public deserved to know about the attacker’s background sooner.
Starmer also mentioned that the country is facing a new kind of terrorism, one that’s more about individuals acting alone. He’s talking about young men who might be plotting violence from their bedrooms.
He’s pushing for changes in the law to help identify these potential threats better. It’s a big deal, especially after the Southport tragedy.
There’s going to be a review of the whole counter-extremism system since it seems like there were missed opportunities to act on the attacker’s previous referrals to the Prevent program.
Starmer is adamant that the Southport attack should be a wake-up call for the country. He’s calling for a public inquiry to dig deep into how the system failed the victims.
He’s not holding back, saying nothing will be off-limits in this inquiry. The goal is to get to the bottom of what went wrong and ensure it doesn’t happen again.
As for the attacker, he’s already pleaded guilty to the murders and other serious charges. The judge has made it clear that a life sentence is on the table.
Starmer’s comments have sparked a lot of discussions about transparency and the balance between legal proceedings and public knowledge. It’s a tough situation, and many are calling for more openness in the future.
