Good morning. Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, has voiced concerns about individuals on social media allegedly attempting to incite chaos in Belfast following two consecutive nights of unrest triggered by a knife attack.
The unrest escalated for a second night in Newtownabbey, approximately eight miles north of Belfast, where police employed a water cannon to manage a crowd of around 300 individuals. These demonstrators set a truck ablaze and hurled bricks and petrol bombs near the Sandyknowes roundabout.
According to Benn, twelve police officers sustained injuries, and 16 individuals were taken into custody during the second night of violence. Footage emerged showing numerous men clad in black and wearing masks gathering on Antrim Road, where they were seen extracting bricks from nearby properties and smashing paving stones to create projectiles for use against law enforcement.
Rioters attempted to ignite a vacant building near a petrol station in Newtownabbey, with some launching petrol bombs at police lines. They were also observed taking wheelie bins from residential areas and setting them on fire. Reports indicated that some participants planned to target a nearby hotel, which was suspected of accommodating migrants.
The unrest, which has seen some protests turn violent, began on Tuesday in response to a knife attack. Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old Sudanese national residing on Duncairn Avenue in Belfast, has been charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie, who was attacked on Monday. Alodid also faces charges for possessing a knife in a public area on the same day.
A report by The Guardian on Wednesday night described scenes of demonstrators dismantling a garden fence to use as a barricade and igniting a large fire with tyres, furniture, and wheelie bins. A white van was reportedly driven into the blaze by an individual who exited the vehicle after leaving it in gear, prompting police to work on extinguishing the flames.
In light of these events, Benn has accused online figures of attempting to incite unrest in Belfast. Notable personalities, including Tommy Robinson and Elon Musk, have shared posts regarding the riots, with Robinson providing a list of protest locations and referring to the incident as “yet another invader attack on our people.” He later claimed that he was “not responsible for the protests” and was simply disseminating information.
During an interview with BBC Breakfast, Benn addressed the troubling issue of individuals’ addresses being shared on social media, making them potential targets for harassment. He remarked, “It is entirely unacceptable to direct individuals to specific addresses based on the assumption that a certain person resides there.” He emphasized that the majority of the public would be appalled by such behavior and urged social media companies to remove illegal content, especially in light of the recent unrest in Northern Ireland.
Benn further asserted on BBC Breakfast that the recent violence does not represent the true nature of Northern Ireland, stating, “This does not reflect what Northern Ireland stands for; it is a place filled with compassionate individuals.” He noted that only a small group of troublemakers is involved in these actions, emphasizing that the world is currently watching Northern Ireland and that this unrest must cease.
Additionally, he expressed concerns about ethnic minorities in the region fearing they might be the next targets, revealing reports of individuals being stopped in their vehicles and questioned about their nationality while commuting to work. He categorized the actions as “racist thuggery” when asked if they could be labeled as racially motivated riots, stating, “If individuals are being targeted based on their skin color, there is no other way to describe it.”
The family of the stabbing victim, Stephen Ogilvie, condemned the violent protests and urged an end to the spread of misinformation. Ogilvie is currently hospitalized after losing his left eye due to the attack.
Here is the agenda for today:
09:30 AM: Parliament will hold a general debate to honor the legacy of Jo Cox, nearly ten years after her murder.
Morning: An adjournment will take place to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Morning: The government will respond to the second night of unrest in Belfast and explore any connections to the earlier disturbances in Southampton.
5:30 PM: Scottish First Minister’s Questions.
Severin Carrell is the Scotland Editor for The Guardian.
Local councils in Scotland are facing a significant operational budget deficit of half a billion pounds this year due to escalating costs, reduced government funding, and increased demand for services. The Accounts Commission, the body overseeing the finances of Scotland’s 32 local authorities, reported that the £529 million shortfall represents approximately 3% of their revenue funding. Given that a substantial portion of their expenditures is allocated to fixed costs like salaries, this deficit is likely to impact service delivery.
Despite local authorities raising council tax by an average of 7.7% this year and anticipating £1.2 billion from fees and charges, they will have to consider cutting or reorganizing services and staffing to achieve necessary savings. The commission noted that real-term funding from the Scottish government for daily operations has only increased by 2% this year, while funding for capital projects has decreased by 15% in real terms.
The bulletin on spending indicated, “Even with a slight real-term increase in Scottish government funding for 2026/27, councils continue to face significant risks to their financial stability as funding fails to meet rising demand and escalating costs.”
Councillor Ricky Bell, the resources spokesperson for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla), acknowledged the bulletin’s accurate depiction of their precarious financial situation, expressing notable concern over the “critical financial pressures” confronting their health and social care partners.
