Civil servants have been accused of trying to censor criticism and debate about immigration during last year’s riots after the Southport stabbings. However, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) doubled down on the claims officials intervened and said it would make “no apologies” for flagging potentially harmful content.
Republican US congressman Jim Jordan posted emails to X accusing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of trying “to censor criticism of itself and debate about immigration” during the riots. In one email, which DSIT did not deny had been sent by a member of its staff, a civil servant commended “proactive efforts” to deal with “misleading and false claims in relation to this incident feeding community tensions on a local level”.
DSIT says it makes ‘no apology’ for trying to get posts taken down (Image: Getty)
Republican Jim Jordan accused the UK Government of trying to censor criticism (Image: United States Congress)
The anonymous civil servant added: “I am sure you will not be surprised at the significant volumes of anti-immigrant content directed at Muslim and Jewish communities as well as concerning narratives about the police and a ‘two-tier’ system.”
The department asked social media firms to tell it about “any measures you have taken in response”.
In response, DSIT told the Express it would make “no apologies for flagging to platforms content which is contrary to their own terms of service and which can result in violent disorder on our streets, as we saw in the wake of the horrific Southport attack”.
A government spokesman argued the department had no role in deciding whether posts be taken down, saying that was a matter for social media companies according to their own rules.
However, the spokesman admitted using the Government’s so-called “trusted flagger status” – which guarantees them a priority response from social media firms – to highlight posts it believed breached the platforms’ terms of service.
Elon Musk was among those accusing Keir Starmer of ‘two tier’ policing during the riots (Image: Getty)
Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice said DSIT’s confession was “appalling”.
He blasted: “I am appalled, but not surprised, that DSIT, a UK government department, delights in confirming it is censoring criticism of government performance.
“It admits it is shutting down claims of two-tier policing and two-tier justice.”
Allegations of two-tier policing have persisted since the riots, with many arguing that those involved were treated far more harshly by the criminal justice system than other criminals.
US billionaire Elon Musk was among those branding the Prime Minister “two-tier Keir”.
Mr Tice has cited the 31-month incarceration of Lucy Connolly as further proof of “two-tier” justice, as she remains locked up despite more serious criminals receiving lesser sentences.
GB News star erupts over ‘absurd’ asylum rules in major blow to Keir Starmer
GB News commentator Charlie Rowley slammed the legal loopholes blocking the deportation of illegal migrants and foreign criminals. Discussing the issue with GB News Breakfast hosts Stephen Dixon and Ellie Costello he was asked why the country can’t simply deport illegal immigrants as they had done in the past during Tony Blair’s tenure as Prime Minister. Citing the “further integration with EU law (and) the European Convention of Human Rights” Charlie claimed many people use an interpretation of this in their claims and also slammed some of the reasons being used by certain people to remain in the UK.
“We’re certainly seeing that with deportation – you can’t deport people because of a fear of chicken nuggets back home and things like that. People that are criminals… coming to the country illegally, that are having a claim processed who go on to commit serius offences cannot be deported because in the eyes of the law to a family life in the UK. That is absurd!” he exclaimed.
Charlie Rowley described Labour’s current immigration policies as “absurd” (Image: GB News)
He continued: “As an independent nation state… even if signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights and the like, we still have the ability (to implement our own procedures).
“…It is up to the UK as an independent national government, with another Independent National Government, Rwanda, to get those flights off the ground. It should not have been blocked by anybody else.
“There’s always going to be a lawyer involved in anything that you do. And I think you can always get a better lawyer. You can always different legal advice.
But the idea that there’s this fear about being caught out ‘by law’ because of the interpretations that many different people have, that stops these deportations taking place, that stops governments getting to grips with this,” he said.
Keir Starmer’s inability to deport migrants has been slammed on GB News (Image: Getty)
“When you have a Prime Minister who is a lawyer, not a leader, the situation is going to get worse,” he predicted.
Earlier this month Britain secured a new agreement with France over returning migrants who arrive in small boats, with a deal struck for a one in, one out system that would see small boat migrants exchanged for legal asylum seekers.
It came after around 22,492 people arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel this year, up 57% on the same time in 2024 and 71% higher than the year before that.
The situation is leading to public unrest. On Saturday eveing (July 27) protesters clashed outside a hotel in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, housing asylum seekers. The protest came after the hotel’s owners reportedly agreed to a deal with Serco to house asylum seekers.
