UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Sarah Owen, head of the Commons equalities committee, argues that the Tory government’s handling of asylum claims was linked to the August 2024 UK riots.
Labour MP Sarah Owen, leading an inquiry into enhancing community relations following the unrest, warned that the actions of Reform UK MPs were making it more challenging to build stronger community ties.
While speaking to the Guardian, she stated, “With a lot of the Reform MPs, their tone, their rhetoric, the language that they use – they know they’re whistling to that particular tune. They know that.”
She further pointed out several factors that contributed to the disorder in August, which affected multiple locations across the UK after the tragic death of three young girls at a Southport dance class.
Ms. Owen highlighted that in many violent events, the assaults were not limited to mosques, however, also targeted hotels where migrants were waiting for their claim decisions.
Under Rishi Sunak’s government, a backlog of asylum seekers was created as they worked to implement the Rwanda plan, which would deport individuals without assessing their claims.
The Luton North MP stated, “I can’t help but think that the backlog was deliberate. We’ve been able to clear quite a lot of that backlog. It was a political choice they made.”
She added, “That’s why a lot of people, including myself, were shocked but not surprised in August.”
Ms Owen plans to investigate why some towns and cities with diverse populations such as ethnic and religious communities, including her own, were unaffected and calm during the August riots.
She said that far-right movements, including Tommy Robinson, could be a factor, but the main reason for peace in the area was good communication and ties between communities.
Ms. Owen pointed out that X has allowed far-right voices, including Tommy Robinson to return, with Elon Musk’s involvement playing a key role in amplifying their attention.
After sending a ‘Dear John’ letter to X (formerly Twitter) in November, Owen says she has no regrets about quitting the platform.
She stated, “It’s a nicer place to be without Twitter in your life, because what you are seeing there is an algorithm that is based on hate.”
The inquiry committee has begun seeking evidence, and it will hear from its first witnesses at the start of this year.
Her committee will conduct a special session focusing on the overlooked prejudice faced by Muslim women and she wants to examine stereotypes about older individuals.
As the first female MP from East Asia and Southeast Asia, with a Malaysian Chinese mother, Ms Owen said her work is especially meaningful to her because of her personal connection to the diverse people in her constituency.
She also strongly disagrees with the claims made by Suella Braverman and others that multiculturalism has failed in Britain.
Owen responded to the allegations, stating “I‘m an embodiment of multiculturalism. The constituency I represent is a multicultural place. The whole of the UK is multicultural. Does she mean something different?.”