MPs demand recall of Parliament as rioting continues across Britain

Parliament was recalled during the 2011 riots, and some MPs are now demanding the same to deal with ongoing unrest.

Damage at the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, where anti-immigration rioters smashed the windows before starting fires on Sunday (Dave Higgens/PA) (PA Wire)

MPs from across the political spectrum have demanded the recall of Parliament in the face of rioting on Britain’s streets.

Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel, Labour MPs including Diane Abbott and Dawn Butler, and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have all called for the Commons to cut short its recess after the country endured another night of violence on Sunday.

But Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said Parliament will not be recalled “right now”.

Speaking to Times Radio, Tory leadership contender Dame Priti said the country is seeing “extraordinary criminality”.

She said: “We now need to, in my view, as politicians, get some kind of grip on this, which is why I am calling for the recall of Parliament right now so that we can actually discuss these issues.”

Dame Priti compared the situation to the 2011 riots, when Parliament was recalled to debate the response to disorder, adding there are “many practical things” that can be achieved by recalling MPs.

She said: “Local authorities are now under pressure, the police are under pressure to do more effectively, we need to find out what more do they need.”

But her leadership rival James Cleverly, the shadow home secretary, suggested recalling Parliament is not necessary provided there is a “fast” and “clear” flow of information to MPs.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There’s nothing that needs to be voted on, there are no additional powers (needed).”

Several backbench Labour MPs have also urged the recall of Parliament.

Veteran MP Ms Abbott told the BBC Parliament should be recalled because MPs “don’t know” what ministers are doing to tackle the riots.

She said: “This is an extraordinarily grave situation. You’ve got people trying to burn down hostels where asylum seekers are cowering. You’ve got people attacking black and Muslim people on the street.

“We need to be able to question ministers on what exactly is being done and we want to speak up for our communities. These are racist anti-immigrant riots, and we need proper debate and proper analysis in the House of Commons.”

Brent East MP Ms Butler said: “It may be time to recall Parliament. This violence needs to stop.

“PM is right arrests must be swift. We must also tackle the causes of this violence which is as simple as it is complex. Some uncomfortable truths must be addressed.”

Others such as Ian Byrne and Zarah Sultana simply tweeted “Recall Parliament”.

Also demanding the recall of Parliament, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the country needs to have “a more honest debate” about immigration, integration and policing to “give people the confidence that there are political solutions that are relevant to them”.

But speaking to LBC on Monday morning, the Home Secretary said: “That’s not what we’re doing right now. What we’re doing right now is keeping in close contact with MPs.”

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman did not rule out recalling Parliament, but said the Government’s focus was “to ensure that communities are kept safe, to ensure that people who have participated in this violent disorder face the full force of the law”.

Parliament has only been recalled from recess six times in the past decade – once in 2016 to pay tribute to Labour MP Jo Cox after her murder by a far-right terrorist, on three occasions in 2020 and 2021 to debate issues related to the pandemic, again in April 2021 to pay tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh after his death, and most recently in August 2021 after the fall of Kabul.