Starmer in Downing Street this morning:
“Security is essential, but that is not enough. We must also deal with the forces that drive this hatred in the first place, so we’re confronting them directly. One of the lines of inquiry is whether a foreign state has been behind some of these incidents. We’re investigating, of course, all the possibilities and we’re clear that these actions will have consequences if that proves to be the case.
“Our message to Iran, or to any other country that might seek to foment violence, hatred or division in society, is that it will not be tolerated. That is why we passed legislation to tackle these malign threats. We’re clear-eyed about the fact that antisemitism does not have one source alone: Islamists, far left, far right extremism, all target Jewish communities.
“That is why this Government has put in place the first co-ordinated national plan to strengthen cohesion and confront extremism in all of its forms.”
News of yet another suspected arson attack on a synagogue broke as Starmer was speaking…
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”