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Tory leader hopeful Tom Tugendhat to attack 'culture of denial' over UK riots

August 13, 2024
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Tom Tugendhat, a potential candidate for the tory leadership, was scheduled to criticize the prime minister for his handling of the recent riots and assert that there is a "culture of denial" in the UK on Tuesday.

The former security minister is anticipated to claim in his first significant speech of the Conservative leadership contest that Sir Keir Starmer demonstrated a "failure of leadership" when violence erupted in British towns and cities last week.

In a speech on law and order, Mr. Tugendhat is also scheduled to charge Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, of using "reckless political rhetoric."

“Too often, over the last two decades or more, we have avoided being brutally honest, preferring instead the warmth and false comfort of denial and complacency,” he is expected to say.

“We need to end the culture of denial – the tendency to move hurriedly on from acts of extreme violence, to obfuscate about the identities and motives of the perpetrators.”

Sir Keir cancelled his summer holiday and his spokesman said he remains on “high alert” for more potential unrest.

But the disorder appears to have petered out as dozens of people have now been charged with offences relating to riots and looting.

Two 12-year-old boys are the youngest people to admit to violent disorder during the unrest, appearing in court yesterday over separate incidents in Manchester and Southport.

Today in London Michael Mongan, 39, from Ealing, was set to be sentenced for racially abusing a bus driver and spitting at his cab during unrest in the capital.

A tenth person has been charged by detectives investigating violent disorder in Bristol city centre.

Joseph Bradford, 20, of Bishopsworth, Bristol, was charged with violent disorder following an incident on August 3.