How Southport attacker’s terror charge is undermining confidence in police

“The police were in a difficult position and I thought they dealt with it in a fairly simple and credible way,” said Andrew Chadwick, professor of political communications at Loughborough University. “They quickly came up with an explanation. You could tell they were trying to get a handle on the situation and be as clear as possible without breaking the rules. But you could see the kind of pain they were feeling because they could see how incendiary this could become.

Last week, an Ofcom report found a “clear link” between social media posts and the violent disorder that followed. In an open letter, Ofcom CEO Dame Melanie Dawes wrote: “Posts about the Southport incident and subsequent events from high-profile accounts reached millions of users, demonstrating the role that virality and algorithmic recommendations can play in driving divisive narratives in a period of crisis.” According to the Council of National Police Chiefs, police have made a total of 1,590 arrests and filed a total of 1,015 charges since July 29. More than 200 people have been convicted, most of whom received prison sentences, with an average prison sentence of two years.

A fierce debate has emerged over whether some terms were disproportionate, sparked by the recent death of Peter Lyncha 61-year-old grandfather who is believed to have committed suicide in prison 10 days ago while serving a two-year, eight-month sentence for violent disorder.

“Obviously it’s an incredibly difficult context for police to deal with,” Chadwick added. “I think we’re moving toward a new type of settlement where police may have more confidence in prosecuting these types of cases.” Part of the problem, he adds, is that social media sites increasingly encourage users to prioritize clicks and eye time, even at the expense of accuracy. Since Elon Musk bought Twitter, the platform he renamed

“Those kinds of circumstances will make it difficult for police to assess how things will develop,” Chadwick said. “Because people are not only incentivized to be part of it, for the buzz, but also to generate revenue. I think there should be a greater sense of responsibility.”