John Dennison

ALT We are horrified by the far-right attacks and violence that occurred over the weekend and since the tragic crime that was committed in Southport. These riots are racist and Islamophobic at their core, and the New Economics Foundation stands in solidarity with the people and communities who have been targeted by them. This violence did not appear from nowhere - it has been seeded by the mainstreaming of far-right rhetoric by some politicians and media outlets. And it has been fertilised by those without the moral courage to challenge an economic orthodoxy that has made so many people poorer, instead allowing the finger to be pointed at those with the least. This demonisation of immigrants, Muslims and people of colour has trickled down into communities whose social structures have been decimated by years of austerity politics. Economic insecurity provides fertile ground for far-right ideas to take root, and both need to be tackled head-on by this government.