British premier chairs emergency Cobra meeting amid far-right riots

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday chaired an emergency Cobra meeting with senior police officials amid widespread far-right riots that have erupted across towns and cities in England.

More than 150 people were arrested during violent disorder in various UK towns and cities over the weekend.

The violence, which marked some of the worst rioting the UK has seen in recent years, erupted in response to the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport last week.

Police were called to manage violent scenes in Rotherham, Middlesbrough, Bolton, and several other locations across the country on Sunday.

Addressing the nation on Sunday, Starmer condemned the "far-right thuggery" and vowed that the rioters would "regret" their actions.

He pledged that those involved would "face the full force of the law."

The Cobra meeting saw the prime minister gather senior Cabinet figures to discuss the government's and police's response to the ongoing unrest.

The recent surge in violence has prompted calls from a growing number of MPs for parliament to be recalled to debate the riots.

The parliament was last recalled in the summer of 2021 during the evacuation of UK forces from Afghanistan.

Veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott said on X: "Nationwide anti-immigrant riots on a scale never seen before. Threatening life, property and our police force. We need to recall Parliament."

Similarly, Reform UK leader and Clacton MP Nigel Farage demanded MPs return to the Commons, saying: "In the short term, we will quell the riots, but deeper long-term problems remain."

Over the weekend, calls for the recall of parliament came from both sides of the political spectrum.

Tory leadership contender Dame Priti Patel and left-wing MP Zarah Sultana emphasized the urgency of the situation.