Nigel Farage Southport comments 'irresponsible', claims former Counter Terror boss

In brief...

• Nigel Farage's comments on social media regarding the Southport child murders were criticized by Neil Basu, the former UK head of Counter Terror.
• Basu emphasised that responsible politicians should avoid making such mistakes, highlighting the importance of sticking to facts.
• Basu explained that police not sharing full details in such cases like Southport's is necessary to determine if incidents are terror-related.

Comments made by Nigel Farage about the multiple child murders in Southport on 29 July have been condemned by the former UK head of Counter Terror, who has said his words were a “matter of concern”.

Neil Basu, who served in London’s Metropolitan Police and as National Police Chiefs' Council lead for Counter Terrorism Policing before his retirement in 2022, told The News Agents that Farage's social media comments were not shared as "a matter of concern" by an elected politician.

On 30 July, Farage shared a video on X, saying he wondered if the "truth was being withheld" from people over the details of the Southport attack on Monday, which claimed the lives of three young children.

The News Agents previously described his comments as "giving rise to conspiracy theory", that "powerful elites" are withholding information, although also said some of his questions about the attacker were "valid".

Basu tells Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel Farage's comments were a "mistake", adding that "responsible politicians shouldn't make mistakes like that".

"I think it's an incredibly unfortunate thing for a responsible politician to say, and it wasn't done in the House of Commons, it wasn't done as a matter of concern as an elected politician," he said.

"It was done on social media. It sends a very clear message that somehow there is a conspiracy that people are not being told the truth."

"Mr. Farage is way too good a communicator not to understand that his comments would have added to that, and that, I'm afraid, is a mistake. And responsible politicians shouldn't make mistakes like that."

When asked by Emily if he believed Farage was a "responsible politician", Basu replied saying he "wasn't in the last 24 hours or so."

However, he insists Farage should be able to have his say on the matter, as an elected politician, but says he would "appeal" to the Reform UK leader to stick to the facts.

"For a politician, who claims that he's concerned about law and order in the country, I think, undermining policing who are dealing with two of the most difficult issues in this year, in that manner is irresponsible," Basu adds.

"The police are not trying to play anything down. They're trying to investigate murders, and attempted murders."

He adds that social media speculation, and the real-world violence seen on English streets as a result, is a "total deflection" from the tragedy that took place and the grief of the families affected.

"Watching one of the families come out and say, 'not in our name, please don't do this', that is not the position they should have been put in," he says.

"So there is something about appealing to the most responsible people in the country to be very clear about what is acceptable and what is not."

As the former head of Counter Terror, Basu explains that details in cases such as the Southport attack are withheld from the public because in many cases, it is not clear whether an incident is terror related or not.

He says the distinction on incidents such as hurling bricks at a mosque in Southport comes down to whether it was the action of an "organised group" or "mob violence" carried out by individuals, or whether the actions were politically motivated or due to a racial or religious cause.

"We have to be really careful when we proscribe groups. My experience of terrorists is, I'm afraid, they love it," he adds.

"So if these people want to set themselves up as a terrorist group, you are giving them the glorification of the name and the purpose. I don't want to incite any more people to do that.

"When you look at the numbers involved in this, they're small, they're chaotic, they're disorganised. Largely I agree with the Prime Minister. They are thugs.

"They're mostly alcohol fuelled hooligans who like a fight."

Listen to the discussion in full on The News Agents.