The hateful legacy of conservative governments: Where will the hatred of immigrants and Muslims lead Britain?

The month of August saw a wave of violent protests erupting across several British cities, sparked by far-right groups. These demonstrations were mainly concentrated in cities with large immigrant and Muslim communities, such as Hull, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Blackpool, and Belfast.

The extremist rioters chanted provocative slogans and sang songs calling for the expulsion of foreigners from the country while glorifying the British race. One such song was "Rule, Britannia!”—a well-known British patriotic anthem. They also chanted racist slogans like "England till I die” and "We want our country back."

The unrest continued for two consecutive days, marked by rioters breaking into shops owned by immigrants and Muslims, along with destruction of property, arson, and acts of violence against mosques and asylum seeker shelters. The instigators also set fires, threw fireworks, assaulted police officers, hurled bricks, and caused widespread chaos and violence in the aforementioned cities.

The Guardian described the situation by saying that the streets of some major British cities had turned into battlefields between the British police and far-right protesters “in the worst outbreak of civil disorder in Britain for more than a decade.”

The protests were sparked by an incident on July 29, 2024, when a teenager born in Britain to Rwandan Christian parents stabbed and killed three British girls aged between 6 and 9 during a children's dance party in Southport, northern England.

Following the recent wave of violence against Muslims and immigrants—the likes of which have not been seen in the country since 2011—is the Labour government in Britain paying the price for the racist policies of previous conservative governments? Can Keir Starmer and his colleagues rein in the far-right?

In addition to the death of the three girls, eight other children and two adults were injured in the attack. The 17-year-old British attacker was arrested and charged with criminal offenses, but the police did not classify the incident as a terrorist attack.

However, false claims were spread online that the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK by boat. In the wake of these messages, “far-right protesters – guided by social media – gathered in cities across the country.” The misinformation fueled a wave of incitement against immigrants and Muslims in Britain. The far-right exploited this to spread their racist, anti-immigration, and anti-Islam ideologies.

The violence resulted in the arrest of more than 150 people in about 20 British regions. The police charged over 140 of them, and convictions have already been handed down to some, as the government, led by Keir Starmer, vowed to impose "swift criminal penalties" on the aggressors to deter them.

The causes and roots of this phenomenon

The last major wave of violent protests in Britain occurred in 2011, triggered by the police shooting and killing of a Black man in London.

Speaking on the recent wave, British affairs researcher Kamel Hawwash tells Raseef22, "The hatred and hostility towards Muslims in Britain began many years ago. This is not a recent or fleeting phenomenon but is deeply rooted in Britain and dates back to before Brexit."

Hawwash believes that the hostility stems from "a resentment towards immigrants by the extreme right, who used the immigration issue to incite the British people to vote in favor of leaving the European Union. There is a significant fear among Europeans and Britons that Muslims are seeking to impose Sharia law in Europe and Britain in the future, which is, of course, impossible but is being promoted and exaggerated by the far-right to spread hostility towards Muslims."

The far-right's incitement of violence and hatred against Muslims has caused growing concern among in Muslim communities in Britain—particularly for Muslim women who wear the hijab—that Muslims may become targets of physical and verbal assaults. Several mosques have already been set on fire as part of the recent wave of attacks.

Hawwash adds, "There is also a group of far-right supporters who have become members of the British Parliament for the first time, such as Nigel Farage and his party, who want to blame all of Britain's economic and social problems on immigrants, stemming from a racist background against them and Muslims. There are also motives to support Israel from sectors of the far-right, and there were Palestinian flags visible at all the protests opposing the extreme right."

According to the Al-Arab in UK (AUK) website, the loud voice of the far-right does not accurately reflect their true influence in British society. In the 2010 elections, they received support from around 12% of the electorate, and in the most recent elections, their support did not exceed 14%. It’s important to note that supporters of this movement had a strong turnout at the polls, aiming to elect as many representatives as possible to parliamentary seats.

Furthermore, the recent elections saw the lowest voter turnout in nearly 50 years. This suggests that the significant participation from far-right supporters, coupled with the low turnout from the general public, means that the 14% figure may not represent their actual weight in British society; their real influence might be much less.

British political analyst Sadiq Amin tells Raseef22 that the real reasons and background for the violence in Britain are "multiple, with the most important being the hate speech targeting Muslims and immigrants, promoted by media hostile to them and Islamophobic groups. This rhetoric portrays Muslims as enemies and associates them with terrorism. With the spread of extremist and nationalist populist movements across Europe, including Britain, the narrative that 'Muslims are the cause of Europe's problems' and that they 'have taken jobs from native citizens' is repeatedly promoted."

“The current Labour government in Britain is paying the price for the mistakes of previous Conservative governments, which were significantly right-leaning and often adopted racist rhetoric towards immigrants. This has weakened the current government, despite its decisive measures to contain the crisis.”

Amin emphasizes that all these misconceptions and racist ideas have contributed to "strengthening the extremist nationalist rhetoric, which resonates particularly with the vulnerable classes among British nationalists, especially in remote cities and northern Britain. This populist rhetoric is exploited for political gains at the expense of British social cohesion and the British law, which guarantees the rights of all citizens regardless of their religion or origin."

Amin also highlights the influence of lobbies hostile to the Palestinian cause, which, in his view, "exploit such events to incite sentiments of anger and hatred against Muslims, especially since Muslims and a segment of Britons who support just causes are advocates for the rights of the Palestinian people."

The breaking point of deep-rooted violence and hatred

Political analyst Sadiq Amin continues, explaining that violence against Muslims in Britain is part of a series of interconnected events, noting that the murder of the three girls "was the breaking point that overflowed the cup of deeply rooted violence and hatred in British society, especially in areas with high unemployment rates, where many far-right nationalists blame the increasing number of immigrants to Britain, particularly Muslims."

Despite a strong turnout from its supporters and lower participation from other factions, the far-right in Britain only garnered 14% of the vote in the most recent elections. So, what then has fueled the recent wave of protests and widespread violent attacks against migrants and Muslims?

The rise in hate speech against minorities in Britain, particularly amid Israel’s escalating war on Gaza, led the government to establish a new definition of extremism in the country in mid-March 2024. This new definition characterizes extremism as any act or behavior aimed at promoting or endorsing an ideology based on violence and/or intolerance or hate speech with the intention of infringing upon or undermining rights and freedoms, parliamentary democracy in the country, or creating conditions conducive to others achieving such outcomes deliberately and intentionally. The previous definition of extremism merely described it as clear and explicit opposition to democratic values, individual liberty, the rule of law, and religious tolerance.

Indications of the concentration of violence in certain areas

Amin points out that violence against Muslims is widespread across Britain, particularly in areas with significant Muslim populations. He highlights the British government's ongoing efforts to combat violence perpetrated by far-right extremist nationalists.

This time, the violence was concentrated in large cities like Liverpool, Manchester, Bradford, Hull, Southampton, and Belfast in Northern Ireland. These are areas with substantial Muslim communities and where the far-right nationalist movement, led by Nigel Farage, has gained traction, promoting the idea of "reforming the United Kingdom."

It is important to note that this wave of far-right violence was primarily met with popular counter-demonstrations organized by British groups in several cities.

The large, massive demonstrations by Muslims and those sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, calling for an end to the genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, often "displease pro-Israel lobbies and the media controlled by these lobbies," according to Amin. He adds that the far-right's incitement of violence and hatred against Muslims has had a negative impact on Muslim communities in Britain. There is growing concern—particularly among Muslim women who wear the hijab—that Muslims may become targets of physical and verbal assaults. Several mosques have already been set on fire as part of the recent wave of attacks.

“Hate not welcome”

One cannot overlook the fact that this wave of far-right violence was primarily met with popular counter-demonstrations organized by British groups in several cities. According to The Independent, these protests were held under the slogan "hate not welcome," with chants like "get off our streets, you filthy Nazis," "we resist," and "refugees are welcome here."

The extremists retreated from the streets after thousands of Britons took to the streets in opposition to the far-right's rhetoric. Approximately 6,000 police officers were deployed to prevent any violence between the two sides. According to Reuters, the British police remained on high alert on Wednesday, August 7, following threats of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim protests from the far-right. Police forces were deployed across all cities in anticipation of potential violence.

The British government’s response to the violence

The British government's warnings and actions against the far-right were stronger and more forceful than ever before. This is partly due to the new Labour government's awareness of the significant challenges involved in addressing the violence, which stems from the heavy legacy of biased and unjust practices of the previous Conservative government. British analysts recommend that the current government "reconsider economic development in the most marginalized areas, increase spending on essential services to speed up the pace of integration, and work to bridge the gap between different social groups," according to the BBC.

“The massive demonstrations by Muslims and those sympathetic to the Palestinian cause in some British cities, calling for an end to the genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza has displeased pro-Israel lobbies and the media controlled by these lobbies, which have contributed to the escalation of violent protests in cities that have significant Muslim populations.”

In a statement, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violence in the country and what he referred to as "far-right thuggery," according to Reuters. Starmer emphasized that the perpetrators, aggressors, and violators of law and order would "regret it" and face consequences in accordance with the laws and regulations in place. He also called for an immediate halt to these “mindless actions” and practices, pledging that his government would do everything in its power to enforce the law, restore security and order, and fully support British law enforcement and police.

On this, British affairs researcher Kamel Hawwash says, "Prime Minister Starmer's approach to these developments was effective, particularly by instructing the police to firmly confront these protests and the acts of violence perpetrated by far-right supporters. The swift imposition of penalties, including five-year prison sentences in some cases, served as a strong deterrent to the far-right. Additionally, Starmer's reassuring messages to Muslim communities, encouraging them not to fear and to remain calm, were significant. However, the government is also to blame for what transpired."

Hawwash explained that "the far-right's exploitation of the girls' murder was a result of conflicting news reports and the lack of clarity about the identity of the perpetrator, as the police did not disclose the killer's identity. This gave the far-right more time to incite hatred against Muslims and immigrants."

Many British circles and institutions criticized the previous Conservative government, led by Rishi Sunak, accusing it of adopting far-right rhetoric in the country. In response to these criticisms, the government allocated approximately £100 million to protect Muslim institutions in Britain, particularly mosques and Islamic centers, after a significant and alarming rise in hate crimes against Muslims. This move was seen as an attempt by the Conservative government to present itself to the British public that it is against hate crimes and far-right attacks in the country. The government also announced its preparation of a plan to protect Muslims and their institutions and combat the phenomenon of extremism and hate speech against them, in coordination with the police and civil society institutions.

“British Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded appropriately by imposing swift measures to address violence in the country. However, the government is also to blame for what transpired. The far-right's exploitation of the girls' murder was a result of conflicting news reports and the lack of clarity about the identity of the perpetrator, and the police did not disclose the killer's identity. This gave the far-right more time to incite hatred against Muslims and immigrants."

Amin stressed that the current Labour government in Britain is paying the price for the mistakes of previous Conservative governments, which were significantly right-leaning and often adopted racist rhetoric towards immigrants. This has weakened the current government, despite its decisive measures to contain the crisis.

Amin further noted that the Labour government is working diligently to curb the growth of the far-right movement led by Nigel Farage and the Reform UK party, which continues to raise anti-Muslim slogans. Simultaneously, the government is attempting to address the root causes of this violence, with expectations that Starmer's government will review many of the Conservatives’ previous policies to resolve this problem, as well as the failed economic crisis management strategies of Conservative governments, which have unfairly blamed immigrants for their failures.