Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has called for scrutiny of the Government’s handling of information in the Southport stabbings case, suggesting its failure to share details with the public may have worsened the situation.
Speaking to GB News about the newly announced inquiry, Philp said it must examine “the Government’s handling of the aftermath of these terrible murders”.
He pointed specifically to information about Prevent referrals that was withheld from the public, reportedly on Crown Prosecution Service advice.
“We need to look at whether that was the right thing to do and the Government has questions to answer about what they knew and when, why they didn’t disclose that information,” Philp told GB News.
Chris Philp says the Government’s actions need to be examined following the announcement of a inquiry
Merseyside Police, GB News
Axel Rudakubana, 18, has pleaded guilty to murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven in Southport in July 2024.
It has emerged that Rudakubana was referred to the Government’s Prevent anti-extremism scheme three times before the murders due to a fixation with violence.
Following the plea, the Government has announced the launch an official inquiry into the Southport attacks.
Philp highlighted concerns raised by Jonathan Hall, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, about the risks of withholding information.
The 18-year-old pleaded guilty to murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, Bebe King, and Elsie Dot Stancombe
Merseyside Police/PA Wire
Hall had warned last October that when the Government fails to provide full information, it creates a void filled by “often uninformed speculation on social media.”
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“Jonathan Hall is an expert lawyer who has said there is a lot the government can say in those circumstances without prejudicing a trial,” Philp said.
Philp emphasised that the inquiry must thoroughly investigate the government’s decisions around information disclosure.
“We need the inquiry to cover this question, what the Government knew and when, why it wasn’t disclosed?” he told GB News.
The Shadow Home Secretary raised specific concerns about whether the lack of transparency may have contributed to the unrest that followed.
Philp told GB News that the Government appeared to ‘know information’ which wasn’t disclosed to the public
GB News
“Did that have any consequences? Did it allow misinformation to spread that then led to the riots? We need to answer those questions, and that’s why it’s so important,” he said.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that “Britain will rightly demand answers” about how “the state failed in its ultimate duty to protect these young girls”.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused the government of a “cover-up” and called for Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to apologise in the Commons.
The court has indicated that a life sentence is “inevitable” when Rudakubana is sentenced on Thursday.
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