A TWO-PHASE public inquiry began on Monday (7) into the killing of three girls in Southport last year, which triggered Britain’s worst riots in decades.
Bebe King, aged six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and nineyear-old Alice da Silva Aguiar died in the stabbing spree at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
Axel Rudakubana, now 18, also attempted to kill eight other children and two adults.
He was jailed in January for a minimum of 52 years.
Launching the probe, home secretary Yvette Cooper said the first phase would “thoroughly investigate” the circumstances of the July 29 attack in the northwestern seaside town, including Rudakubana’s multiple interactions with public authorities.
Rudakubana had repeated contact with the police, courts and welfare services as well as the government’s counter-terror programme Prevent, but all failed to spot the risk he posed.
The second phase would examine the wider issue of young people being drawn towards extreme violence.
“We owe it to their families, and all those affected to quickly understand what went wrong, answer difficult questions and do everything in our power to prevent something like this from happening again,” Cooper said, describing the murders as an “unimaginable tragedy”.
After his arrest, police found violent content on Rudakubana’s devices including images of dead bodies, victims of torture, beheadings, and cartoons depicting violence and rape.
The probe, with legal powers to compel witnesses to give evidence, will be chaired by retired senior judge Adrian Fulford.
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.