Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to strengthen police numbers in Jewish communities across the UK after a terrorist attack outside a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
Speaking from Downing Street, Mr Starmer condemned the attack in Crumpsall as an act of antisemitism, saying it targeted Jews because they are Jews and Britain because of its values. He pledged a more visible police presence and said the country would stand up to hatred.
Mr Starmer, who returned early from a trip to Copenhagen and chaired a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee, said: “I promise you that I will do everything in my power to guarantee you the security that you deserve.”
Other party leaders also condemned the attack. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Britain must remain a safe place for Jewish people, while Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said he was horrified and appalled. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage offered his thoughts and prayers, and Green Party leader Zack Polanski described the attack as deeply personal.
At a press conference, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham called it a “horrific antisemitic attack on our Jewish friends and neighbours”. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said security had been stepped up at synagogues across the country and that the government would “do whatever is required to keep our Jewish community safe”.
