Civil Disorder: Northern Ireland
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with political parties in Northern Ireland on the a) knife attack on Monday 8 June and b) violence and disorder on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 June 2026.
Answered by Hilary Benn
I met with the leaders of the main Northern Ireland political parties on Thursday, 11 June to discuss the knife attack in North Belfast and the subsequent disorder. I welcome that they have all condemned the violence witnessed last week in the strongest of terms. I am committed to continuing to work with the Executive on strengthening social cohesion.
Our thoughts continue to be with the victim of the knife attack, as well as with his family and the wider community. There is absolutely no place for this kind of brutality in our society and absolutely no justification for the subsequent disorder seen in parts of Northern Ireland, which targeted ethnic minorities, put lives at risk and damaged communities.
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