Keir Starmer will hold a press conference at 4pm today after his earlier meeting with senior police leaders.

The prime minister will speak about the gathering with policing leaders and take questions from the media, after scenes of violent unrest.

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Far-right riots: Starmer to announce setting up of new violent disorder unit

Vikram Dodd

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said he has “no doubt” Glasgow will reject the far-right ahead of a planned protest, reports the PA news agency.

A “pro-UK rally” has been planned for the city’s George Square on 7 September, with English Defence League (EDL) founder Tommy Robinson – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – promoting the event on social media.

Plans for the rally come after violence in Southport, Merseyside, this week after the killings of three young girls in a knife attack.

Police say the scenes were sparked by supporters of the far-right, claiming those present backed the EDL.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Sarwar said the “single most important issue” was to support the families of the children who were killed and the wider community of Southport.

Sarwar said:

I’m a son of Glasgow, I was born in Glasgow – Glasgow is my city.

I know as a Glaswegian, that we have always had a view – we can’t be complacent, we can’t pretend that there aren’t issues here – but we’ve always been a city that regardless where you come from, regardless of where you were born, when you come here you’re one of us and we’re one Glasgow.

There have been attempts by the far-right before to do protests here or to sow divisions here. Every single time the far-right has tried to do that in Glasgow, Glasgow has overwhelmingly rejected them. I have no doubt Glasgow will do that again if this happens.”

Sarwar was joined by Glasgow city council leader Susan Aitken, who wrote on social media:

Glasgow city council has received no notification of any rally but then we know Tommy Robinson and his ilk don’t really care about respecting laws or public places. He’s not welcome in Glasgow, and neither is anyone who chooses to align with his poisonous rhetoric.”

Sarwar went on to call on social media firms to do more, saying the far-right is “recruiting, organising, amplifying, fundraising online”. He added: “All of that can stop if the social media platforms take the appropriate action.”

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Scotland Yard’s deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens, assistant commissioner Matt Twist, National Crime Agency’s director of operations Robert Jones and chief constables from Merseyside and West Yorkshire police all attended the Number 10 meeting.

Prime minister Keir Starmer, home secretary Yvette Cooper, justice secretary Shabana Mahmood and policing minister Dame Diana Johnson spoke with the officers.

According to the PA news agency, there were 19 attendees in total, including director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson, His Majesty’s chief inspector of constabulary Andy Cooke and police leaders Serena Kennedy and John Robins from the Merseyside and West Yorkshire forces.

Kennedy, the chief constable of Merseyside police, spoke to the meeting via video link. She told the assembled ministers and police leaders that the force was “determined to get justice” for the attack on Monday and to identify all those who took part in rioting on Tuesday in Southport.

'This is not protest, this is violent disorder' and 'action will be taken', says Starmer at emergency meeting

Home secretary, justice secretary and police leaders arrive at Downing St for meeting with PM

At least a dozen police leaders have arrived for their meeting with the prime minister on Thursday afternoon.

The group entered 10 Downing Street and ignored questions from the gathered media about what they hoped to ask Keir Starmer, reports the PA news agency.

More police leaders are expected to arrive before the start of the meeting at 2.30pm.

Keir Starmer will hold a press conference at around 4pm today after his meeting with senior police chiefs about the disorder seen in London, Hartlepool and Manchester on Wednesday evening.

The prime minister will speak about the gathering with policing leaders and take questions from the media, after scenes of violent unrest.

Rioters clashed with police in Southport on Tuesday, attacking officers and setting a van on fire, after the fatal stabbing of three children in the Lancashire town on Monday.

The Scottish government should explore making its version of the winter fuel payment “more targeted”, the leader of Scottish Labour has said.

PA reports:

This week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the benefit would move from being universal to means-tested, sparking outrage in Scotland about a potential £160 million funding gap.

As part of the process of devolving social security, the Scottish government is due to take control of the benefit this winter.

Ministers have said the universality of the payment – which could be worth as much as £300 for pensioners – cannot be guaranteed.

But Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the announcement from the Chancellor presents an “opportunity” for the benefit in Scotland.

Speaking to journalists on a visit to a community project in Easterhouse, Glasgow, he said:

This is a new devolved benefit that’s going to come to Scotland this year now that the winter fuel payment is going to be devolved.

We have an opportunity to do that in a more progressive, fair way and I think the Scottish government should take that opportunity.

I don’t see the benefit in us giving a payment to those that frankly are millionaires and don’t need the money at a time when people are struggling to make ends meet and our public finances are in a difficult situation.

The MSP said he was “sympathetic” to those on the edges of receiving the benefit, who would likely lose out, adding he would work with the Scottish government to adjust the criteria north of the border if that was required.

The country needs to have a conversation about false information spread by the far right on social media, Hartlepool’s MP has said.

Jonathan Brash told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme:

The conversation we need to start having is about the way these far-right groups are disseminating false information on social media.

Because I see it almost every single day – straight-up lies about these situations designed to cause violence, to incite racial hatred, to incite people to violence.

We have to deal with that situation because there is so much misinformation and it’s being spread quite deliberately to stoke tension in communities and ultimately it’s the communities that are suffering as a result.

He added that the unrest “is not in any way, shape or form reflective of Hartlepool, its people, its values”, and that many people have got in touch to “express their absolute disgust” at what was seen on the streets last night.

He said:

This has clearly been co-ordinated on social media earlier in the day, so it’s not clear what the mix was in terms of who was there.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has welcomed the interest rates cut, warning that “millions of people are still paying higher mortgage rates” following the 2022 mini-budget.

She said:

Homeowners will welcome this cut in interest rates, but I know that millions of people are still paying higher mortgage rates after the Conservatives mini-budget less than two years ago that sent interest rates and mortgage rates soaring.

That is why I am focused on taking the difficult decisions to fix the foundations of our economy so we can rebuild Britain and make every part of our country better off.