Sir Keir Starmer has demanded a “swift, agile and visible” criminal justice response to the suspected terror attack in Golders Green, as he announced an additional £25 million to bolster security for Jewish communities.
Prime Minister convenes emergency meeting
Speaking at a roundtable with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and other agencies in Downing Street on Thursday, the Prime Minister stressed the need for collective action. “Today is about part of the response which is really important, which is the criminal justice response, because a number of people have been arrested, a number of them go through the criminal justice system, and it’s really important that we are able collectively to demonstrate that the response will be swift and visible,” he said.
Starmer added: “I do think there’s a wider duty on all of us in terms of confidence in the criminal justice system to be able to deal with appalling attacks like this, to show that it can act in a swift, agile and visible way.”
Extra funding for community protection
The government will inject a further £25 million to increase police patrols and security around synagogues, schools, and community centres, bringing the total commitment this year to £58 million. In addition, legislation to create proscription-like powers targeting individuals and organisations acting on behalf of malign state-sponsored groups will be fast-tracked in the coming weeks, according to ministers.
The Press Association understands these plans will feature in the King’s Speech on May 13, setting out the government’s legislative agenda for the next parliamentary session.
Details of the attack
The attack on Wednesday left two Jewish men – 34-year-old Shilome Rand and 76-year-old Moshe Ben Baila, locally known as Moshe Shine – hospitalised after being stabbed in Golders Green. A 45-year-old man, described by police as a Somali-born British national, was arrested at the scene.
Police forces across the country have increased patrols in response to the incident, which Starmer described as a fight “for everyone in this country, because it’s about what sort of a country that we want to live in.”
