A thinktank has claimed that the response to the 2024 riots in England and Northern Ireland failed to tackle their root causes and delinked the violence from racism. The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) says that an obfuscation of the causes and consequences risks legitimising further far-right mobilisation and vigilante violence.
Dr Jon Burnett, the report's author, studied court cases and found that the Conservative government's 'stop the boats' slogan was echoed by defendants. Some accused the government of aiding an 'invasion'. The report notes that the violence broke out after false information spread online that the perpetrator of the Southport murders was an asylum seeker.
Rajiv Menon KC described the response as 'wholly inadequate' and incapable of addressing racism. The report also found that while claims of two-tier justice were wide of the mark, Muslim and minority ethnic people who mobilised to protect communities faced harsh sentences, with some judges suggesting they should have 'risen above' racial abuse.
Andrea Coomber KC said the 'two-tier justice' narrative was misleading, and instead both government and courts prioritised speedy prosecutions and punitive sentencing, sweeping up vulnerable people. The report argues that the government failed to consider deprivation caused by state policies as a contributory factor.
