Andy Burnham took aim at Nigel Farage and senior Reform UK figures during a heated Makerfield by-election hustings, warning politicians against “stoking tensions” in the wake of riots that erupted in Belfast following a brutal stabbing
Andy Burnham took aim at Nigel Farage and senior Reform UK figures during a heated Makerfield by-election hustings, warning politicians against “stoking tensions” in the wake of riots that erupted in Belfast following a brutal stabbingAndy Burnham took a swipe at Nigel Farage, as he warned against politicians “stoking tensions”, after riots erupted following a brutal stabbing in Belfast earlier this week.
At the Manchester Evening News hustings in Makerfield, the Greater Manchester mayor also accused former Tory ministers Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick – now both Reform MPs – of overseeing record levels of migration while in the Conservative government. Burnham’s comments came after Reform candidate Rob Kenyon blamed “illegal immigration” for the attack, which sparked unrest across Belfast. Homes and cars were set alight across Belfast, after hundreds of protesters took to the streets following Monday night’s stabbing.
Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old Sudanese man, appeared in court on Wednesday, charged with attempted murder. He was also charged with possession of a knife in a public place and threats to kill an The victim, named Stephen Ogilvy, who is in his 40s, remains in hospital after losing his left eye and sustaining damage to his right eye. He also has injuries to his neck and back.
Describing the knife attack as “horrific”, the mayor of Greater Manchester said it “needs to be dealt with, with the most severe consequences”. The stabbing has reignited the debate about immigration in the country.
However, Burnham warned politicians against inflaming tensions in the aftermath of the violence. Speaking about immigration during the hustings, Mr Burnham said: “Who was in charge of the immigration system when we saw net migration at the highest levels I think we've ever seen in recent times? Two prominent members of Reform, Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, so I think there needs to be some reflection here from all parties.
” Burnham's comments echoed those made by Restore, which was first to point the finger at Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, who were in the Conservative government before defecting to Reform. On Tuesday, the far-right party put out a statement on X which read: “It has emerged that Reform’s Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman were the ministers responsible for our borders when this Sudanese man entered our country, claimed asylum, and then was allowed to stay.
Following the attack, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the attack was “horrific”, before adding on X: “The authorities must reveal the identity and status of the attacker immediately. The public are entitled to the truth. ” Mr Burnham told the audience that “politicians and their words have consequences”. Coun Kenyon said on Wednesday that he did not condone violence but people were “upset” because violence was “becoming more normalised on our streets and it shouldn't be”, he said.
“I think we need a real strict immigration policy and we need to stop the boats, to stop people coming in who could potentially cause us harm. ” Kenyon said the party has a net negative immigration policy, and the authorities need to “start with removing people who shouldn't be here and keep the ones who we want here, it's as simple as that,” adding that “as we've seen over the last few years, the floodgates have opened”.candidate, said his thoughts were with the victim.
“We can't have lawlessness on our streets. And it's really important that we make sure that we deal with perpetrators of this attack swiftly and if they've got no right to be here, then they should be removed as well,” he said.
Jake Austin, the Liberal Democrat candidate, said the unrest witnessed in Belfast was a “consequence of years of rhetoric from the extreme right in an attempt to divide our country and make this a problem of us versus them,” he said.
“That is not how our politics and our country should be done. ” Sarah Wakefield, the Green Party candidate, said there’s now “a politics of hate and of fear… why don't we continue with a proud British tradition of a politics, of compassion, of welcoming people into this country that are fleeing, allowing them to contribute while they wait for their claims to be processed. ” The debate also led to discussions on the tragic death of Henry Nowak.
The 18-year-old was murdered in Southampton in December by Vickrum Digwa, who falsely claimed he had been racially abused and had acted in self-defence. Digwa was jailed for life on June 1, with a minimum term of 21 years. Responding to the release of the police bodycam footage showing Nowak’s final moments, Farage recorded a video message calling for “pure cold rage”. Defending his party leader’s comments, Kenyon said: “I think everybody who watches that video would feel rage.
Nigel isn't calling for any violence, and we absolutely condemn any violence. Violence is never any answer, but people have got the right to have their voices heard.
” But Mr Burnham said politicians “know very well the consequences of their words and the context in which they deliver them”, adding: “The leader of Reform definitely knows that, and his words were used by the ring leaders of the violence in Southampton, and nobody will tell me that a politician isn't fully aware of what they say in those moments. ”Choose Manchester Evening News as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.
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