Steerpike

As if the new Labour government doesn't already have its work cut out trying to get a handle on riots breaking out across the UK, it is also engaged in an ongoing fight with Elon Musk. The US entrepreneur appears to have taken a rather lot of interest in Britain this week – and he's not pulling any punches when it comes to Starmer's army. Wading into the 'two tier policing' argument, Musk started tagging Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Twitter, blasting him as '#TwoTierKeir' and suggesting that the UK government is overstepping in its criticism of those who incite violence online. 'Is this Britain or the Soviet Union?' he fumed about the news that the first person in the UK to be charged with stirring up racial hatred on Facebook will appear in court next week.

These days, when it rains for Labour, it pours. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has had a rocky week trying to get a handle on violent riots that spread across the country – and now one of his own councillors has been arrested on suspicion of 'encouraging murder' over incendiary comments. Dartford politician Ricky Jones has come under fire after it emerged that, at a mass gathering in East London last night, he called for far-right rioters to have their throats cut. Charming... In a clip from a counter-protest in Walthamstow – which the Beeb insisted 'preached a message of peace' – the Labour lefty raged to a cheering crowd: 'They are all disgusting Nazi fascists. And we need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all!' Crikey. So much for tolerance and progressivism, eh?

Oh dear. It's not been the best week for ITV, which has seen over 8,200 Ofcom complaints about Monday's episode of Good Morning Britain. Mr S would advise readers to cast their minds back a few days, where – after a weekend of riots – Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was interviewed by, um, her own husband. How very impartial... But that's not the only incident that viewers have taken umbrage with. After those watching expressed their outrage at Ed Balls conducting the 'softest interview' with his parliamentarian wife, a number reflected back on a rather 'dismissive' exchange that Balls had undertaken with suspended Labour MP Zarah Sultana – on the same show. Awkward...

Finally. Someone who ran the Metropolitan Police that will actually speak to the media. Former Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson appeared on LBC today to give his thoughts on the riots that have spread across the UK. Quick to hit out at the Prime Minister himself, Stephenson was certainly pulling no punches... Quizzed about his thoughts on the widespread disorder that has led to damaged property and multiple arrests across the country – and the government's response to it all – the ex-police chief was, in short, rather unimpressed. Suggesting that Cobra meetings are 'called so that politicians can be seen to be doing something', Stephenson also told listeners: I get that politicians have to make strong statements. But on a personal basis I'm not hugely impressed by it.

To Scotland, where the Nats are facing accusations of not dealing with sex offender complaints properly. Cameron Downing, former SNP equalities officer, was last month jailed for six years after being convicted of sexually assaulting six young adults and physically assaulting two women. Between 2016 and 2021, the ex-equalities officer was found to have attacked seven people and has been convicted of 10 charges – including sexual assault and domestic abuse. He resigned from the equalities post after his tweets from 2022 about how he wanted to 'beat the f*** out of some terfs and transphobes' emerged – but only had his SNP membership formally removed in January 2023.

Protests are spreading across the UK. In Hull, protesters gathered outside a hotel housing asylum seekers and chanted ‘stop the boats’, and in Belfast a Syrian cafe owner had his business targeted. Now the action has spread to Rotherham. This afternoon, a mob has set fire to a hotel, used to house migrants. Footage appears to show masked rioters assembling outside a Holiday Express as they clashed with police. It comes after earlier demonstrations in the area from a mix of anti-racist and anti-immigration supporters. On Thursday, Keir Starmer used a Downing Street press conference to address violent disorder following the Southport stabbing attacks.

To West Sussex, where spectators are enjoying the sun at the Goodwood Racecourse. But it hasn't necessarily been the most pleasant experience for everyone – least of all a former prime minister who seems unable to reap the benefits of her short-lived stint in office... ITV was quizzing excited race-goers about the day and the interviewer stopped next to one gentleman to inquire about his pre-race thoughts on the stallions of the day. After a rather quick Q&A the presenter bid his farewells before moving onto the next interviewee – which wasn't the woman in white also in frame, much to her disappointment. Former PM Liz Truss – in the top job for all of 49 days – smiled expectantly during the interview, waiting for ITV to ask what the woman who once ran the country thought.