UK politics: MPs spar over response to Cambridgeshire train attack – as it happened

Lib Dem spokesperson Max Wilkinson condemns Reform UK and Chris Philp for their response to train attack

Max Wilkinson, the Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson, said within hours of this attack happening, social media was full of speculation about this attack, inciting racist and Islamphobic reaction.

He accuses “figures on the hard right, including members of the Reform party” of trying to “exploit the incident for political gain”.

Desperate to involve themselves in the tragedy, they reached for their dog whistles. They threw around baseless opinions on levels of crime when facts were available. They were shamelessly trying to turn tragedy into yet another excuse to whip up fear and sow division.

He claims Philp’s comments today “also veered into that realm”. He added:

Never is an opportunity to blame foreigners missed. That is beneath contempt.

Philp heckles, saying he was not blaming foreigners and that Wilkinson should withdraw his accusation.

Mahmood says she deplores the way “armchair warriors” spread misinformation online.

She says at moments of crisis “people normally reveal their true colours”. She says she will leave her comments there.

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Afternoon summary

Keir Starmer has opened the Commons debate on the Hillsborough bill, legislation that will make it an offence for public officials to cover up state-related disasters. In his speech, Starmer said:

I want to begin this debate with a simple acknowledgment, long overdue. That the British state failed the families and victims of Hillsborough to an almost inhuman level.

Those victims and their families, their strength, their courage, their refusal to give up, a determination no matter what was thrown at them to fight for people they’ll never know or meet, to make sure that they never go through something like this again.

They are the reason we stand here today with this bill. They are the reason why it will be known as the Hillsborough law, and they are the reason why we say clearly again, what should have been said immediately, that their loved ones were unlawfully killed, and that they never bore any responsibility for what happened in Sheffield that day

MPs have pressed the Cabinet Office to release the information available to Keir Starmer when he told the House of Commons he had confidence in Peter Mandelson ahead of his sacking. As PA Media reports, during an appearance before the foreign affairs committee, cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald said he will consider the request for further information contained in a due diligence report on the former UK ambassador to the United States.

Max Wilkinson, the Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson, has condemned Reform UK and Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, for their response to the Cambridgeshire train attack. (See 5.04pm.)

Nigel Farage giving a speech at Banking Hall in the City of London today. Photograph: Lucy North/PAShare

Updated at 18.53 CET

Ayoub Khan, the independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, intervenes. Given the importance of public authorities telling the truth, he asks if the PM agrees that Lisa Nandy should return to the Commons to correct the misleading information she gave to fans about the reasons why Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were banned from the match at Villa Park.

Stamer says, with Hillsborough relatives watching in the gallery, this is not the moment for party political comments.

Starmer says Hillsborough law is needed to prevent future state cover-ups

Starmer starts by recalling that 97 people went to a football match at Hillsborough and never came back.

He says the British state failed the families of those victims at an almost inhuman level.

But those victims refused to give up, he says. They fought to ensure “people they would never know or meet” would never have to go through this again. That is why this law is being passed.

He says the victims were killed unlawfully. That should have been said immediately. It was not an accident; it was an injustice, he says.

And “further injustice” happened when the families were subject to police lies. And the state aided and abetted “a cover-up by the very institutions that are supposed to protect, not to serve”.

And this has happened in many other cases, which is why legislation is needed, he says.

Starmer opens second reading debate on Hillsborough law bill

MPs are now debating the second reading of the public office (accountability) bill – known at the Hillsborough law.

And, unusually, Keir Starmer is going to open the debate.

Tories claim Bloody Sunday verdict shows government should ‘think again’ about Northern Ireland Troubles bill

The Tories have urged the government to rethink its Northern Ireland Troubles bill in the light to the acquittal of “Soldier F” in the Bloody Sunday murder trial.

Speaking during an urgent question in the Commons, Alex Burghart, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, said the result of the trial showed how it was “vanishingly difficult” to obtain convictions in cases like this. He went on:

And this, of course, has implications for the government’s Troubles bill, which will reopen many such cases, cases where there is no prospect of resolution but only of ongoing legal process, with almost no possibility of bringing terrorists to court, but which, ultimately, leave open the likelihood of ever more vexatious complaints against our veterans.

Burghart urged the government to “think again” about its bill.

Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland secretary, defended the Troubles bill. He said the Legacy Act passed by the Tories had to be replaced because it was “opposed by all of the political parties in Northern Ireland, and was found by the courts to be incompatible with our human rights obligations”.

Court hears election petition challenge against result of Runcorn and Helsby byelection won by Reform UK by six votes

The candidate who came last in the Runcorn and Helsby byelection has launched a legal challenge against the result on the basis there was “fraud” at the count, PA Media reports. PA says:

English Constitution party candidate Graham Moore received 50 votes, or a 0.15% share of the vote, in the May election, which saw Reform UK candidate Sarah Pochin claim the seat with 12,645 votes, just six more than the Labour candidate.

Giving evidence in the trial of his election petition challenge at Chester crown court on Monday, Moore spoke about the “statistical impossibility” of receiving 50 votes, which he said was the exact number he received when standing in the Tooting byelection in 2016.

He told the trial, sitting before high court judges Mr Justice Spencer and Mr Justice Bryan: “I need the court to focus on process, because process is key.”

Moore, who represented himself in the hearing, added: “It’s not the first time it’s happened but, most importantly, when I’ve seen it happen at other counts no one has ever pushed it forward to an election hearing and explained the method and operation of fraud to two high court judges.”

He said he and his count agents had seen an estimated 116 ballots with votes cast for his party on.

He told the court: “I’m not suggesting that I have won this election. I have never said that. We’re not really interested in whether it would be Labour or Conservative or even Reform.”

Moore said he did not know whether the loss of votes which he said he saw was down to error or fraud.

The petition has been made against two respondents, Pochin, who was legally represented but not present in court, and returning officer Stephen Young.

The trial is listed for three days.

Ben Obese-Jecty, the Tory MP for Huntingdon, said this was a difficult and challenging weekend for his constituents. He praised the emergency services, and he says the actions of the driver, who diverted the train, undoubtedly saved lives.

Lib Dem spokesperson Max Wilkinson condemns Reform UK and Chris Philp for their response to train attack

Max Wilkinson, the Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson, said within hours of this attack happening, social media was full of speculation about this attack, inciting racist and Islamphobic reaction.

He accuses “figures on the hard right, including members of the Reform party” of trying to “exploit the incident for political gain”.

He claims Philp’s comments today “also veered into that realm”. He added:

Never is an opportunity to blame foreigners missed. That is beneath contempt.

Philp heckles, saying he was not blaming foreigners and that Wilkinson should withdraw his accusation.

Mahmood says she deplores the way “armchair warriors” spread misinformation online.

She says at moments of crisis “people normally reveal their true colours”. She says she will leave her comments there.

Ruth Cadbury, the Labour chair of the transport committee, pays particular tribute to the rail staff who reacted so quickly. She especially praises the train driver and the staff member who intervened to protect passengers.

She urges the government not to respond in a way that will make travel by train harder.

Mahmood says any response would have to strike the right balance between safety and convenience. But she says at the moment there are no proposals to go further on rail security.

Mahmood says the events in Cambridgeshire are being investigated by the IOPC (independent office of police conduct). She says it would not be appropriate to comment on anything that might be covered by the inquiry.

And she says it would not be appropriate on the mental health of the accused.

On knife crime, she says she agrees with Philp about the need for the government to do more to tackle this problem.

On stop and search, she says it was a former Tory home secretary (Theresa May) who started to cut back on the use of it. But the police do have the power to stop and search indiscriminately on an operational basis.

On facial recognition, she says the government is going to consult on a legal framework that will enable the police to use this technology without having to worry about legal challenges.

And the Home Office will be supporting the rollout of 10 facial recognition units, she says.

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