Labour councillor who called for far-Right rioters’ throats to be cut is arrested
A Labour councillor who was filmed saying far-Right rioters are “disgusting” and should have their throats cut has been arrested.
Ricky Jones, a councillor for Princes, in Dartford, was seen on video footage telling anti-racism protesters in Walthamstow, north-east London: “We need to cut all their throats.”
The Labour Party said his behaviour was “completely unacceptable” and he had been suspended. He was also arrested on suspicion of encouraging murder.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed his arrest on Thursday in a post on X, formerly Twitter, which included the original footage of Mr Jones addressing protesters.
The post said that a man aged in his 50s had been arrested at an address in south east London and “was held on suspicion of encouraging murder and for an offence under the Public Order Act.”
Scotland Yard said Mr Jones, a paid organiser with the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) union, was being held in custody at a south London police station.
Before his arrest, the 57-year-old had been suspended from the Labour Party, meaning he will no longer sit as a Labour councillor.
A Labour spokesman said: “This behaviour is completely unacceptable, and it will not be tolerated. The councillor has been suspended from the party.”
A TSSA spokesman said: “TSSA remains steadfast in supporting communities that peacefully stand against fascist aggression. We unequivocally do not condone any threats or acts of violence, as these actions are contrary to our values.”
The union did not say whether any action would be taken against Mr Jones.
The union employee was photographed with Angela Rayner at a TSSA gala dinner in Sheffield in May 2022. The event celebrated the union’s 125th anniversary and the then deputy leader of the party gave the after-dinner speech.
His arrest came as a Labour MP reported an anti-fascist poster that equated “Zionists” with the far-Right to the police.
Sarah Sackman, the MP for Finchley and Golders Green, said material shared by groups ahead of a demonstration in North Finchley on Wednesday evening was “clearly anti-Semitic”.
The poster, from the group Finchley Against Fascism, read: “Get Fascists, Racists, Nazis, Zionists and Islamophobes out of Finchley.” A small number of demonstrators were said to have later chanted “Free Palestine” outside a local synagogue.
Counter-protests to the fore
After a number of turbulent days, far-Right riots have taken a back seat as overwhelmingly peaceful protests took place around the country, organised by Stand Up To Racism (SUTR).
The group responded to fears circulating on Tuesday that far-Right thugs were set to target migrant advice solicitors and offices which had been named in a list on the Telegram social media channel by staging counter-protests outside those venues.
SUTR succeeded in mobilising thousands of people at short notice which, together with a strong and rapid police presence, appeared to have succeeded in forcing the far-Right to abandon their plans.
Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said on Thursday that a show of force from the police and the community had scared off far-Right rioters and described it as “a very successful night”.
SUTR, which has branches across Britain, has drawn widespread support from Labour MPs, members of the Lords, celebrities and writers.
Dozens of public figures signed a statement drawn up by SUTR this week calling for communities to unite against the far-Right, including Lord Hain; Kate Nash, the singer-songwriter; Jerry Dammers, founder of The Specials; and the pop star Paloma Faith.
Also putting their name to SUTR’s Unity Statement were the historian Dr Lousie Raw; Gurinder Chadha, the director of Bend It Like Beckham and Blinded By The Light; and the leaders of a dozen major trade unions, including the RMT, ASLEF and the Fire Brigades Union and the teaching unions NASUWT and NEU.
In its statement, SUTR said: “Fascist riots have taken place in towns and cities across Britain leading to attacks on mosques and hotels housing migrants.
“All those who oppose this must join in a united mass movement powerful enough to drive back the fascists.
“We are the majority, they are the few. Britain has a proud history of defeating fascists and racists. We can defeat them again. We must Stand Up to Racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. We must unite and mobilise against the far-Right and fascism.”
Other named supporters of SUTR include Zarah Sultana MP; Jon Trickett MP; Richard Burgon MP; Ian Lavery MP; and Clive Lewis MP along with Humza Yousaf MSP, Paul Sweeney MSP and Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader.
More vigils planned
SUTR is organising more protests and vigils this weekend, including in London, Manchester, Southampton, Chorley, Lancaster, Weymouth, Derby and Preston.
However, critics have raised concerns about its links to the Socialist Workers Party, a far-Left organisation.
Giles Udy, a historian and the author of Marxism in British politics 1917-56 & Today, stated above a photograph of Wednesday’s protests on X: “Posters supplied by ‘Stand up to Racism’, a front for the Trotskyite Socialist Workers Party
“Just a reminder here - the SWP is a fringe Communist party which is dedicated to the overthrow of parliamentary democracy and the market economy and its replacement by a totalitarian workers republic.”
One of SUTR’s leading figures is Weyman Bennett, a leading figure in the SWP. The 59-year-old is fellow joint secretary of SUTR alongside Sabby Dhalu, a Labour Party member and former organiser of the National Assembly Against Racism.
Both are former leading figures in Unite Against Facism (UAF), which was founded in 2003 in response to the electoral successes of the BNP and itself grew out of the Anti Nazi League (ANL), which organised a series of large national and local demonstrations against the rise of the far right National Front in the 1970s and 80s.
UAF were prominent in organising a demonstration outside Broadcasting House against BNP leader Nick Griffin’s appearance on the BBC’s Question Time in October 2009.
Mr Bennett was also a leading figure in Love Music Hate Racism, which was born out of the Rock Against Racism (RAR) movement.
RAR organised a series of concerts and carnivals against the National Front which succeeded in drawing music fans and teenagers away from the far right during the late 70s and early 80s.
