The Hull Story Comment
AFTERMATH: A trail of devastation left by the Hull riots of August 3. Picture credit: Chris Fenton / Octovision Media
The riots of August 3 were a day of shame for our city.
But dismissing their cause and simply trying to forget them would be a grave mistake.
As our criminal justice system deals with the offenders, it is incumbent on local and national leaders to do everything in their power to prevent them happening again.
That starts with recognising what they were. As Zia Salik, Chair of Hull Mosque, explains in an interview for The Hull Story, this was not mere thuggery but violence driven by racism and hatred.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer was right to describe the violence in towns and cities across the country as “far-right thuggery”, and dealing with the threat posed by the far-right should become a national priority after being downgraded by the previous government.
Because those six days of rioting were not just attacks on asylum seekers and minority communities, they were an attack on the rule of law and democracy itself.
It is questionable, however, whether the PM’s pledge for the rioters to feel the “full force of the law” is being met. As Hull’s most senior judge, John Thackray KC, rightly asked during one sentencing hearing, why were some of the worst offenders not being charged with riot instead of the lesser offence of violent disorder? If Starmer can’t explain perhaps the Crown Prosecution Service should.
There is also a case for it being more serious than that. If these politically motivated riots were not domestic terrorism, what were they? It was only through good fortune and the bravery and professionalism of police officers that no one was killed.
The rioting should also shame some high profile politicians into moderating their language. Those who organised what they called “protests” repeated the word “invasion” deployed by former Home Secretary Suella Braverman on the subject of immigration. That’s just one example.
And there also needs to be a policy response. As well as starting to tell positive stories about people who choose to live here, whether they are seeking sanctuary or just a better life, ministers should also heed a lesson from history – deprived and neglected communities are fertile ground for the divisive and dangerous narrative of the far-right.
If people have a good housing, good jobs and easy access to healthcare, they will not be looking for scapegoats for their own misery.
Hull is the fourth most deprived local authority area in the country and has a cash-strapped city council that has to deliver vital public services. It’s time our city had some serious investment.