Keir Starmer told to cancel holiday by Robert Jenrick as riots grip country: ‘Parts of Britain are burning!’

In a discussion with Camilla Tominey on GB News, he said: “I think it would be completely wrong for the Prime Minister to go on holiday whilst parts of Britain are burning.

“I’m sure that the Government, like the whole country, sees the severity of this situation. I know that they're trying to get a grip on it and I welcome some of the measures they've already taken, like having more prosecutors, having the courts sit at weekends, but this is a very serious situation.

“We need the Prime Minister to be leading the country. The police need our full support and they need to know that he is there supporting them, making sure that this situation has been handled from the very top.”

He added: “I'm appalled by what's happening across the country right now. You've got some far-right thugs, you've got groups of yobs, morons joining in marauding around the streets smashing up shops, attacking communities attacking a mosque, in one case.

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“This isn't Great Britain, it’s anti-British. We are a civilised, decent country.

“Then you've got these retaliatory mobs as well, smaller scale, from those communities out on the streets brandishing knives, bats, weapons. We've got to get a grip on this.

“We need to back the police to the hilt so that they can restore order to our streets and these people should be arrested. They should go to jail for a very long time. We've got to get order…

“There are some far-right people involved in this, absolutely. We must ensure that this is policed even-handedly and the police and politicians should be calling out whoever is responsible for this from whatever quarter and the police must be seen to be doing so fairly.”

Labour’s Lord Walney joined Camilla Tominey on GB News later in the show to defend the Prime Minister, saying he is never truly off duty.

“Keir Starmer is absolutely on it, as is the Home Secretary”, he said.

“He was clearly working all the way through yesterday and I imagine even if he is spending some time with family, he will be plugged in.

“Prime Ministers are never fully off duty as we know. Even if they have gone somewhere, they will bring the full apparatus to be fully switched on.”

Asked if COBRA will be recalled, he said it “may well be” and Parliament could even be recalled if more powerful measures to obstruct the riots are under consideration.

Downing Street has also insisted Starmer will be working throughout this weekend and next week to tackle the violence and civil disorder that has broken out across Britain.

Chaos erupted in Southport after the deaths of three young girls who were stabbed while attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

Protesters have since clashed with police and vandalised property as they make their fury known.