Response to violence is justice, not more violence

Just as the House of Commons was united in condemning the knife attack on the street in Belfast on Monday night, it was united in condemning the arson and disorder last night in response to that crime.

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With one exception. Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform, was not in the chamber. By the time of Prime Minister's Questions, he had not said anything about the events in Northern Ireland, which is unusual for someone who has a Trumpian willingness to answer the phone to any journalist, according to The Independent.

Farage left it to Richard Tice, his deputy, to speak in parliament on behalf of their party. Tice was responsible for the second break in the unity of parliamentarians. He said: “We all condemn, of course, the horrific violence in Belfast last night after the horrific attack on Monday, but...”

If any statement is followed by a “but” it is less than categorical. It meant that Tice did not in fact condemn unequivocally the rioting in response to the original crime. What he went on to say was “... but this prime minister is in denial of the rising despair across the country over his failure to stop the boats and related criminality (and) his failure to recognise two-tier policing.”