Reform critical over Southport response as local MP welcomes guilty plea

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper must appear in Parliament and account for why Axel Rudakubana’s terror links were not revealed sooner, Nigel Farage has signalled.

The Reform UK leader was among the politicians critical of how the Government responded to the attack, as Patrick Hurley, the Labour MP for Southport, said Rudakubana’s guilty plea would spare the families of the three murder victims a lengthy trial.

On Monday – the first day of his trial – Rudakubana, 18, of Banks, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to the murders of three young girls in Southport last July.

Summer riots which saw violence across the country were sparked by the stabbings carried out by Rudakubana.

He also admitted production of a biological toxin, ricin, on or before July 29, the date of the attack, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.

Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died following the attack at the Taylor Swift-themed class on a small business park in the seaside town shortly before midday on July 29.

The defendant, who was 17 at the time of the attack, admitted their murders as well as the attempted murders of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.

Mr Farage told the PA news agency a “vacuum of information” about the suspect had fuelled the riots, and claimed Reform UK had been blocked from asking questions about potential terror links to the attacks in the House of Commons.

“There was nothing about what I asked that would have in any way threatened contempt of court. This is basic background information that the public was entitled to,” he added.

Mr Farage continued: “I think that the Government are responsible for the most astonishing cover-up.

“I think that we need an apology from the Home Secretary and an explanation as to why we have been denied the basic truth.”

The Reform leader’s “cover up” claim relates to Rudakubana’s admission he possessed an al Qaida training manual in PDF form, something not revealed in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

Asked if he would be calling for the Government to address the case in the Commons, Mr Farage replied: “We will, as a party, table an urgent question on this. Absolutely.”

Meanwhile, Mr Farage’s deputy Richard Tice wrote on X, formerly Twitter, there had been a “monumental cover up” in the case.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Southport MP Mr Hurley said he is “very pleased” the families of the three victims will not be put through the “mental torture” of a trial.

“There is no good news story here,” Mr Hurley said.

“It’s just a sense of, we are reaching a sense of finality, but this isn’t a case of celebration or jubilation.

“This is just a case of: make sure we remember the victims and the fact that three little girls did lose their lives and were killed and murdered that day.”

Rudakubana will be sentenced on Thursday.

Published: 20/01/2025 by Radio NewsHub