Keir Starmer says Britain must ‘never surrender’ its flag to far right

{"text":[[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":7.39,"text":"Sir Keir Starmer has said Britain must “never surrender” its flag to far-right activists who use it to instil fear and division, and criticised those at a London rally who attacked the police and intimidated minorities."}],[{"start":22.38,"text":"Between 110,000 and 150,000 people attended Saturday’s “Unite the Kingdom” rally, according to the Metropolitan Police. The event ended with some police officers being injured in violent scuffles."}],[{"start":38.08,"text":"One minister said that the march, organised by the far-right activist Tommy Robinson, was “a klaxon call” for politicians to address concerns on issues such as immigration."}],[{"start":51.72,"text":"But Starmer took a more critical stance, issuing a statement saying he would not tolerate people being “intimidated on our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin”."}],[{"start":64.6,"text":"“People have a right to peaceful protest. It is core to our country’s values,” the prime minister told the Guardian. “But we will not stand for assaults on police officers doing their job or for people feeling intimidated on our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin.”"}],[{"start":83.42999999999999,"text":"The event, which also saw about 5,000 people take part in a counter-protest organised by Stand Up To Racism, ended with 26 police officers being injured and 24 people arrested for a range of offences."}],[{"start":99.41999999999999,"text":"Starmer added: “Britain is a nation proudly built on tolerance, diversity and respect. Our flag represents our diverse country and we will never surrender it to those that use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division.”"}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":116.82,"text":"Peter Kyle, business secretary, called Elon Musk’s prediction that “violence is coming” to the UK “slightly incomprehensible and totally inappropriate”. Addressing the march via video on Saturday, Musk urged attendees to “fight back or you die”."}],[{"start":135.92,"text":"The tech billionaire has switched his support from Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK party to the far-right movement led by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon."}],[{"start":148.2,"text":"Kyle on Sunday denounced Musk’s comments but said the event in London showed that “free speech” was alive and well in Britain."}],[{"start":157.57999999999998,"text":"He told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg: “There are moments that are klaxon calls to us in public life to redouble our efforts to address the big concerns that people right across our country have.” He added: “Immigration is a big concern.”"}],[{"start":173.88,"text":"Kyle said the government was concerned about divisions emerging in British society and other countries, some of it dating back to the economic stress caused by the 2008 financial crisis."}],[{"start":187.07,"text":"“There are figures such as Tommy Robinson who are able to touch into a sense of disquiet and grievance in the community and our society,” he said."}],[{"start":198.2,"text":"Kyle’s comments drew concern from some Labour MPs, who thought he should have been much more critical of the event."}],[{"start":206.19,"text":"Stella Creasy, Labour MP for Walthamstow, said on X: “We can defend the right of people to protest and still be concerned that for many watching yesterday the purpose behind this event is not freedom but fear.”"}],[{"start":222.39,"text":"Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Matt Twist said: “There is no doubt that many came to exercise their lawful right to protest, but there were many who came intent on violence. They confronted officers, engaging in physical and verbal abuse and making a determined effort to breach cordons in place to keep everyone safe.”"}],[{"start":244.32999999999998,"text":"He added: “We are identifying those who were involved in the disorder and they can expect to face robust police action.”"}],[{"start":260.99999999999994,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftmailbox.cn/album/a_1757899751_7190.mp3"}