A new report has delivered a scathing critique of the official response to the widespread riots that shook England and Northern Ireland in the summer of 2024. The analysis, published by the Institute of Race Relations (IRR), argues that authorities failed to address the underlying causes of the violence and deliberately disconnected it from issues of racism and anti-migrant sentiment.
Echoes of Government Rhetoric in Rioters' Justifications
The violence was triggered by the tragic murder of three young girls in Southport, which was followed by the rapid online spread of false information falsely identifying the perpetrator as an asylum seeker. The ensuing disorder saw far-right mobilisation and vigilante attacks.
The report, authored by criminologist Dr Jon Burnett, examined a sample of court cases from the riots. It found that the ideological justifications used by many defendants mirrored political and media narratives. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's "stop the boats" slogan and associated policy framework – a approach the report says was continued by the subsequent Labour government – was frequently echoed by those involved.
Other defendants adopted narratives accusing the state of not going far enough, alleging the government was complicit in an "invasion". Dr Burnett concluded that while the forces behind the riots were complex, the justifications for violence often reflected ideological positions promoted by government policies and politicians over time.
A Punitive 'One-Size-Fits-All' Judicial Response
The report strongly challenges claims of a "two-tier justice system" being applied during the riots. Instead, it highlights a punitive approach that also swept up dozens of Muslim and Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) individuals who had mobilised to defend their communities from far-right groups.
These defenders, the IRR states, faced harsh sentences, with some judges remarking that while racial abuse was unpleasant, they should have "risen above it". Andrea Coomber KC, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the response mirrored that of the 2011 riots: speedy prosecutions and punitive sentencing that captured vulnerable people from various backgrounds, many of whom did not start the violence.
Rajiv Menon KC said the report portrays "the wholly inadequate response of a government and a criminal justice system incapable of addressing the role of racism in the riots".
Missed Opportunity to Tackle Root Causes
The thinktank warns that by reducing the events to "mindless" thuggery, the official response risks legitimising further far-right activity and fails to break a dangerous cycle. Liz Fekete, director of the IRR, stated that society must confront the deeper drivers of anti-migrant, Islamophobic and racist violence to escape a repeating loop of unrest.
Dr Burnett's paper criticises the government for failing to consider whether deprivation caused by long-term state policies was a contributory factor, or whether economic neglect allowed the far right to gain traction in areas feeling abandoned. Andrea Coomber echoed this, noting the lack of government reflection on preventing future riots by tackling underlying social and economic deprivation.
In response, a government spokesperson said their immediate focus was protecting targeted communities and that they are now developing a longer-term strategy for unity. They also pointed to the £5bn Pride in Place investment across 250 areas aimed at improving lives and localities to address festering frustrations.
