PSNI chief urges people not to let those ‘who know nothing about Northern Ireland’ stir up disorder via social media
In his opening statement at the press conference Boutcher also warned people against being influenced “from afar through social media” in the wake of a knife attack. He said:
There will be an increased police presence across Northern Ireland this evening and in the coming days to provide help, support, and reassurance for all our communities, and to keep everybody safe.
There is considerable posting on social media. I appeal for everyone to be mindful of what they view and share online. Sharing footage risks causing further trauma to the injured man’s family and loved ones, and may impact on this investigation.
He also said plans for protests were being carefully monitored.
We are aware, of course, of protest activity being discussed across Northern Ireland this evening, and we continue to monitor this very carefully.
And I understand that last night’s attempted murder will leave people feeling enraged with emotions from fear to anger, but please, please let the PSNI, let the police do their job unfettered and undistracted by wider concerns there may be about disorder.
Do not let people who know nothing about Northern Ireland impact on the behaviours of our people in Northern Ireland from afar through social media.
Remember the actions of those members of the public, they truly define our society in Northern Ireland, they saved a man’s life last night.
Do not let the actions of that man impact on any further harm to anybody else in Northern Ireland.
Belfast knife attack suspect was Sudanese national with leave to remain in UK until 2028, Home Office says
The Home Office has confirmed the suspect in the Belfast stabbing incident is a Sudanese national with leave to remain in the UK until 2028, the Press Association reports.
Following the stabbing on Monday night, which left a man with significant injuries to his eyes, the Home Office said the suspect had entered the UK in 2023 and was granted refugee status the same year.
He claims to have entered the UK via the Common Travel Area, they added.
(An earlier post, at 4.28pm, has been corrected because it originally said Nigel Farage was talking about indefinite leave to remain when in fact he was talking about leave to remain.)
Elon Musk backs far-right, online calls for protests in response to Belfast stabbing
It is not to see why the Police Service of Northern Ireland is worried about disorder tonight. There is a history of anti-immigrant rioting in Northern Ireland, with the most prominent recent example being last year’s mob violence in Ballymena, which led to dozens of Romanian and Bulgarian Roma families having to flee their homes.
Tommy Robinson, the far-right, anti-migrant activist and provocateur, has been using his X account to publicise a list of places where he is calling for “mass protest” in Northern Ireland. Within the last hour, his list has been retweeted approvingly by Elon Musk, who owns X and has 240m followers on the platform.
These are the sorts of people Jon Boutcher, the PSNI chief constable, probably had in mind when he spoke earlier about the risk posed by “people who know nothing about Northern Ireland … [commenting] from afar through social media”. (See 4.49pm.)
Stormont press conference. Left to right: justice minister Naomi Long, deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly, PSNI chief Constable Jon Boutcher, first minister Michelle O’Neill and chair of the policing board Brenda Mullan. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PAThe Stormont press conference. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA
PSNI chief urges people not to be ‘fooled or duped’ by voices online ‘inciting hatred’ and encouraging ‘awful behaviour’
At the Stormont press conference Boutcher suggested the “toxic” nature of online debate was making policing more difficult. He urged people to ignore voices online “inciting hatred”.
He said:
We have got incredible communities across Northern Ireland.
The challenge we face with today’s online toxic nature, and the inciting of hatred, is that that manifests itself by people doing things that they would not ordinarily do, and they are incited by people who are faceless and know nothing about this brilliant, vibrant place.
I said earlier, what defined Northern Ireland last night was the reaction of the neighbours of that victim in going to his aid without any fear for their own safety.
That’s the Northern Ireland that I know and I appeal again – and that’s why we’re all here today – for everybody who is repulsed by what happened last night to understand the person responsible is in custody.
Where there are any concerns about immigration, let’s have those through a political debate. Let the criminal justice process take its course.
And let’s just remember that all of our communities in Northern Ireland almost entirely contribute positively to this place.
And don’t be fooled or duped into a trap by people online inciting awful behaviour.
PSNI Jon Boutcher speaking to the media at a press conference at Stormont. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA
At the press conference Naomi Long, the justice minister, said there were “challenges” with the common travel area, which allows people to cross the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland without having to pass through controls.
She said:
I have raised the issue with the Home Office in the past around trafficking, both human trafficking and other trafficking across the border. I’ve raised it also with Jim O’Callaghan [the Irish justice, home affairs and migration minister] though it is more for the Home Office to do so.
But I recognise that there are challenges when you can travel freely, and what we don’t want on either side of the border is to see the common travel area being exploited for ill purposes.
We have been clear about that. The important thing, however, now is not to demonise any particular community, any particular group of people.
In response to a question at the press conference about the legal status of the suspect, Boutcher said that would be something for lawyers to debate.
He went on:
There was nothing to prevent that individual from coming into this country, and he sought leave to remain through his asylum application. His status when he crossed that border is still undetermined by us, but it’s something that we’ll be looking at, and will come out in the fullness of time.
PSNI chief urges people not to let those ‘who know nothing about Northern Ireland’ stir up disorder via social media
In his opening statement at the press conference Boutcher also warned people against being influenced “from afar through social media” in the wake of a knife attack. He said:
There will be an increased police presence across Northern Ireland this evening and in the coming days to provide help, support, and reassurance for all our communities, and to keep everybody safe.
There is considerable posting on social media. I appeal for everyone to be mindful of what they view and share online. Sharing footage risks causing further trauma to the injured man’s family and loved ones, and may impact on this investigation.
He also said plans for protests were being carefully monitored.
We are aware, of course, of protest activity being discussed across Northern Ireland this evening, and we continue to monitor this very carefully.
And I understand that last night’s attempted murder will leave people feeling enraged with emotions from fear to anger, but please, please let the PSNI, let the police do their job unfettered and undistracted by wider concerns there may be about disorder.
Do not let people who know nothing about Northern Ireland impact on the behaviours of our people in Northern Ireland from afar through social media.
Remember the actions of those members of the public, they truly define our society in Northern Ireland, they saved a man’s life last night.
Do not let the actions of that man impact on any further harm to anybody else in Northern Ireland.
In his statement at the press conferene Boutcher said the people who intervened to help the stabbing victim last night saved his life.
He said:
I want to especially acknowledge the courage of those members of the public who ran towards danger to intervene and help the injured man and the PSNI officers who arrived so quickly to arrest the offender.
I have absolutely no doubt that those members of the public saved that man’s life.
Belfast knife attack suspect arrived in Belfast from Dublin in 2023 and claimed asylum, chief constable says
At the press conferencce Jon Boutcher, the chief constable of the PSNI, gave more details of the identity of the suspect. He said the suspect was understood to be Sudanese.
He said:
It’s my understanding that the suspect was granted leave to remain in the United Kingdom on the 28 of September of 2023.
Again, this is to be confirmed, but I’m informed that he made his way from Sudan to Paris at dates unknown, and from Paris he flew to Dublin at a date yet to be determined.
From my current understanding, he then travelled from Dublin to Belfast by bus on the 10 of February of 2023 and claimed asylum on that date.
There is no trace of this suspect on any of our national security databases, and he was not known to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
I’ve been in direct contact with the head of terrorism policing in the UK. At this stage we have no information to suggest that this was terrorist related.
I do appreciate the nature of the attack has led to speculation it is terrorist related, however there is nothing to suggest that that is the case.
Emma Little-Pengelly, Northern Ireland’s DUP deputy first minister, said the suspect in the Belfast attack should be deported if convicted. She said the attack was “brutal, disgusting and horrific” but appealed for “calm across all of our communities”.
Naomi Long, Northern Ireland’s justice minister and the Alliance party leader, said the attack was “barbaric”, but appealed for calm. She said:
We also know that there are many in our community today who are fearful, who are afraid because they fear that others will associate them with the person who was involved in this attack.
We need to reassure them too that their safety, along with everyone else’s safety, is our primary concern.
Michelle O’Neill, the first minister of Northern Ireland, has been speaking at a press conference at Stormont with other political leaders and the chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Jon Boutcher.
O’Neill said:
Violence like this is no place in our community, and my thoughts are very much with the injured man, his loved ones, and everyone that’s been affected by this horrific attack …
We’ve been in contact throughout the course of today with the chief constable, with local representatives, with officials, and we will continue to work closely with all relevant authorities in the days ahead.
I give my full support to the community during this extremely, extremely difficult time. I urge people to allow the PSNI the space and the time that they require to carry out a full and thorough investigation. The person who is responsible for this horrible crime must face justice and must face the full force of the law.
Leave to remain handed out by Home Office ‘like Smarties’, Farage claims
Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, has claimed that leave to remain is handed out by the Home Office “like Smarties”.
Speaking to journalists on a visit to Grangemouth in Scotland, and referring to the revelation that Police Service of Northern Ireland said they understood the suspect in the Belfast knife attack had leave to remain (see 2.47pm), Farage said:
I mean, it’s absolutely shocking, barbaric, ghastly.
We know that he’s Sudanese. No 10 are refusing to say whether he came here illegally, which I think tells us probably all we need to know.
He was given leave to remain, as almost all these people are. We dish out leave to remain like Smarties to people about whom we know nothing, and some of whom cause great harm in our country. Frankly, these people shouldn’t be here. It’s as simple as that.
UPDATE: The headline, and the first paragraph, have been changed because initially they wrongly said “indefinite leave to remain”, when it should have been leave to remain. I’m sorry for the error.
Rhun ap Iorwerth says Plaid will work with Greens to stop Wales being last nation in Britain allowing no-fault evictions
Rhun ap Iorwerth, the Welsh first minister, has said the country is “lagging behind” England on protections for renters, who are still at risk of no fault evictions.
Speaking at first minister’s questions in Cardiff, ap Iorwerth said he hoped to work alongside the Welsh Greens to increase protections for tenants in Wales.
The Renters Rights Act came into force in May and ended the power for landlords to turf out tenants without a legal reason in England.
Wales is now the only nation in Great Britain where private landlords have the power to evict tenants without giving a reason.
At FMQs Anthony Slaughter, the leader of the Welsh Greens, said:
In your manifesto you promised to protect renters – what is the government’s plan to move at pace to end no fault evictions and stop rents escalating through bidding wars?
Ap Iorwerth said:
It is the truth now that we are lagging behind England when it comes to protection for renters, and that’s something that we will move at pace to put right.
He said Plaid Cymru wanted to work “in partnership” with the Greens on this.
Rupert Lowe, the Restore Britain MP, says he has tabled a Commons early day motion demanding the release of information about the immigration history, religion, and asylum record of the suspect in the Belfast stabbing.
And Zia Yusuf, the Reform UK home affairs spokesperson, says his party has already announced a ban on giving visas to people from Sudan.
Badenoch accused of ‘not being honest’ about impact of axing public sector equality duty
Here is some more response to Kemi Badenoch’s pledge this morning to get rid of the public sector equality duty.
This is fromAndrea Egan, general secretary of Unison, the largest public sector union.
Our rights and equalities protections are there to defend ordinary working class people – those who run our public services and rely on them.
The Tories and Reform want to roll it all back to divide and exploit us.
We won’t let them.
This is from Akiko Hart, director of the human rights campaign group Liberty.
The UK’s human rights laws underpin our daily lives by protecting us from discrimination because of who we are, who we love, or what we believe in.
Those calling to weaken or scrap important safeguards like the public sector equality duty, a vital part of the Equality Act, are not being honest with the public about what they stand to lose. The duty allows everyone the opportunity to fully participate in society, and not be held back just because of who they are. It means that you don’t lose out at work, at school, or elsewhere just because you are disabled, pregnant or a woman. The duty is an essential safety net which not only compels public bodies to respect our rights, but also enables us to seek justice when they get things wrong.
And this is fromMEND (Muslim Engagement and Development), a group that encourages Muslims to be more active in public life. It says:
Kemi Badenoch says the Equality Act should be “a shield to protect you from discrimination, not a sword for social engineering.” But the duty she wants to scrap is exactly what makes that shield work. It requires public bodies to consider who their decisions might harm before they act. Remove the duty and you take the shield away.
This is also a remarkable reversal from Badenoch, who in December 2023 when minister for women and equalities, wrote to every public authority instructing them to comply with this very duty, and stated that there is no hierarchy of rights because every person holds a protected characteristic. Either she was wrong then, or she is being opportunistic now.
The duty imposes no quotas and dictates no outcomes. It simply requires public bodies to think about who might be left behind. It is why a council must weigh the impact on an elderly resident before scrapping the bus route she depends on. It is the duty the Home Office was found to have breached over Windrush in 2020 – and the one the High Court used to quash an unlawful Windrush decision in 2024, twice holding Badenoch’s own party to account.
Strip it away and every community – Muslims, disabled people, older people, women and others – is left exposed to institutional bias that no public body is required even to consider. When the powerful are freed from the duty to think before they act, it is always the quietest voices who pay first.
The leaders of all the main parties in Northern Ireland have released a joint statement about the Belfast knife attack. They say:
As leaders of Northern Ireland’s main political parties, we are united in our condemnation of the horrific incident in North Belfast last night.
There is no place in our society for this kind of brutality. Our immediate thoughts are with the victim and his family, and we hope he makes a full and complete recovery.
Our thoughts are also with those eyewitnesses to the incident, as well as those brave members of the public who intervened.
We recognise the distress and fear this incident will cause within the local community. We urge people not to share the deeply disturbing images or videos, as their graphic nature would only serve to retraumatise those involved.
We support the Police Service of Northern Ireland in their ongoing investigation and urge anyone with information, or relevant footage, to assist them. It is essential that the facts are established through proper investigation and due process.
We are committed to ensuring that violence and hatred in any form will not be allowed to divide our communities. We call for calm and for space to allow justice to take its course.
The statement is signed by Michelle O’Neill from Sinn Féin, Naomi Long from the Alliance party, Gavin Robinson from the DUP, Jon Burrows from the UUP and Claire Hanna from the SDLP.
PSNI appeals for calm, amid fears protests planned in response to knife attack could lead to disorder
Henderson also appealed for calm at the press conference. He said:
We’re also aware of calls this evening for protest activity across Northern Ireland, and continue to monitor that situation accordingly.
I understand that last night’s attempted murder will leave people feeling a range of emotions from fear to anger.
Our officers have a role to facilitate and accommodate peaceful protest.
But Henderson also said the police did not want to see a repeat of the sort of disorder seen on previous occasions.
No one needs to see a repeat of this. This only causes damage to the community, and unfortunately, young people often get caught up in that disorder, so I appeal for calm and the safety of all of our communities in response to this.
All of our focus must be on a criminal justice investigation.
PSNI says it understands knife suspect had been given leave to remain in UK
Henderson said he thought the knife attack suspect had been given leave to remain in the UK after arriving via Dublin. He said:
My understanding is that the individual came into Northern Ireland from Dublin, moving up, and then was granted leave to remain.
He said the Home Office “will be confirming that in more detail in due course”.
At the press conference Ryan Henderson, the PSNI’s assistant chief constable, said the victim of the knife attack in Belfast suffered significant injuries to his eyes and serious slash wounds to his back and face after being attacked with a kitchen knife.
As the Press Association reports, Henderson said detectives arrested a man, now thought to be Sudanese and aged in his 30s, on suspicion of attempted murder, and are not looking for anyone else. He said:
I share the public revulsion over the brutal nature of this attack, which has created concern not only here in Northern Ireland, but much further afield, and I understand also that there will be questions regarding the nature of the attack.
