Parliament grapples again with incident provoking fury on streets and onlinepublished at 12:41 BST
Chris Mason
Political editor, in the House of Commons
For the second time in a row, Parliament in its most high-profile weekly moment grapples with how to respond to an incident provoking fury on the streets and on social media and which is provoking big questions – including, this week, questions about immigration and integration among other things.
In this instance this week, as the Speaker reminded MPs, there is a live criminal case under way, which constrains public discussion in order to ensure there can be a fair trial for the suspect.
We did hear on camera for the first time from the prime minister since the attack in Belfast and the thuggery which followed.
For the second week in a row, Kemi Badenoch has chosen not to ask questions about the dominating theme in the news – instead pursuing questions about the defence investment plan, which is expected in the coming days.
Ed Davey of the Liberal Democrats skirted around the wider issue of what some see as the weaponisation of these issues online.
Gavin Robinson of the Democratic Unionist Party, who will meet the PM this afternoon, did raise the bigger themes being raised by some, including those with a particular focus on Northern Ireland: the Common Travel Area between the UK and Ireland, the open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, and then wider asylum policy, given the alleged attacker had travelled through France and Ireland before arriving in the UK.
