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Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Evil will not define Southport a year on from attack, deputy council leader says
The people of Southport will not 'allow evil to define' them, a year on from a knife attack on a children's dance class. Tuesday marks one year since Axel Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, entered the Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Hart Street and fatally injured Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven. In the days following the attack, during which he also attempted to kill eight other children and two adults, violent disorder broke out in the seaside town and across the country. Deputy leader of Sefton Council Paulette Lappin said now the community was looking to move forward in a positive way. She told the PA news agency: 'It still remains beyond belief, even though I know it to be true, and so it's just very sad. 'From sadness, we hope to bring goodness and that's all we can do.' This summer the area outside Southport Town Hall, where hundreds laid floral tributes and a vigil was held last year, is again filled with colourful flowers. The flowers are now in planters which have been put in place ahead of its transformation into legacy gardens, in memory of those who lost their lives in the attack. Councillor Lappin said: 'It will be designed for the enjoyment and the fun of children, so that all children can come and they can all play in here. 'That's what we have to remember, that it is an absolutely terrible tragedy, but we cannot allow evil to define us.' A new playground is also being built at Churchtown Primary School, in memory of Alice and Bebe, who were both pupils. On the anniversary, members of the public are being asked not to lay flowers but to consider making donations to local causes – including funds set up in the names of the victims of the attack and the Southport Strong Together Appeal, which was established last year to support those affected. No large vigil will be held, but a three-minute silence will be observed at 3pm and churches and community centres will be open for those looking for support or space for quiet reflection. Cllr Lappin said plans for the day were guided by the families, who had their 'thoughts, compassion and incredible respect'. Last summer, a recovery fund was set up to help businesses affected by the attack and to support families. Cllr Lappin said the council had worked with the voluntary sector, specialists involved in trauma, community and faith groups and the emergency services over the past year. 'We hope that this is a holistic approach of listening to everybody with respect and dignity so that we can actually move forward together as much as we possibly can,' she said. 'This work is ongoing. It will continue.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Call for Amazon tax to rebuild local communities year on from Southport riots
Communities which have lost pubs, piers and parks could be regenerated through a tax on wealthy firms such as Amazon in an effort to sow cohesion, a new report has suggested a year on from the summer riots. The trouble, which spread through parts of England and Northern Ireland following the Southport killings, should have been a 'wake-up call', the author of the report said. Disorder broke out after the murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the town on July 29 last year. It quickly spread to other areas, and mosques, community centres and libraries were attacked while hotels housing asylum seekers were also targeted. The far-right 'capitalised on Southport's disrepair to sow disorder', the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said, as the paper it commissioned noted a 'fight for investment in local amenities has garnered little attention' in the aftermath. The report warned of a 'pincer movement of abandonment and gentrification' which has gradually seen community spaces, such as the Southport pier which closed in 2022, lost and increased isolation of people in many areas. Referring to previous research, the report said 50 UK pubs close for good each month, an estimated 600 youth clubs shut between 2012 and 2016 and London lost almost 10 local authority-run community spaces a year between 2018 and 2023. It has suggested a '21st-century welfare fund' raised through a so-called Amazon tax, whereby warehouses and distribution centres are subject to higher levies or online sales taxes. It argued online retailers which build 'giant structures' – a demonstration of their high value – often do not contribute 'sufficiently to the communities around them'. A tax on companies with revenues over £1 million could help generate 'larger, more sustained resource for communities than current community regeneration efforts', it said. The report said: 'If there is a thread connecting the high-octane events of late July (2024) and the slow local politics of the pier, it is the loss of physical spaces where we might come together, and the radicalisation of some of the digital spaces that have replaced them. 'There is an appetite for community action, as the campaign for the pier shows, but a lack of investment and space. 'In the absence of structures which might foster wider solidarities, many retreat into the sphere of the home, or worse, into ethno-nationalist fantasies of muscular sovereignty.' Report author Dr Sacha Hilhorst said: 'The Southport riots were a wake-up call – a stark reminder of what can happen when communities lose the places that once brought people together. In the absence of shared spaces, misinformation and hate can fill the void, creating tinderbox conditions for violence. 'Rebuilding local infrastructure isn't just about nostalgia – it's a vital bulwark against division and the dangerous pull of the far right. 'But communities are not apathetic. They are crying out for places to gather, to organise, and to belong. We need a new generation of institutions to help them do just that.' Dr Parth Patel, associate director at the IPPR, said: 'Where shared spaces are lost, a sense of decline and disconnection takes root – and with it, dangerous alternatives thrive. 'The far right is exploiting the void where solidarity used to live – they capitalised on Southport's disrepair to sow disorder. 'If we're serious about social renewal, we must rebuild the civic infrastructure that once helped people support each other and shape their communities.' A government spokesperson said: 'The disorder that affected communities across the UK following the Southport tragedy highlighted the need for a new approach to community cohesion. 'It's clear that central government has lacked strategic focus on social cohesion for many years, which is why this government is working to develop a longer-term strategy to tackle divisions in our communities and build common ground. 'One of the most effective ways to respond to the frustrations that fester is by improving peoples' lives, and the places in which they live, and through our Plan for Neighbourhoods we are already investing £1.5 billion across 75 areas in the community services local people need and making real improvements they can see on their doorsteps and in their communities.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bold proposal to fund community upgrades with so-called Amazon tax
Communities could be regenerated through a tax on wealthy firms such as Amazon in an effort to sow cohesion, a new report has suggested a year on from the summer riots. Disorder broke out after the murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29 last year and quickly spread through parts of England and Northern Ireland. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said the far-right 'capitalised on Southport's disrepair to sow disorder', as the paper it commissioned noted a 'fight for investment in local amenities has garnered little attention' in the aftermath. The report warned of a 'pincer movement of abandonment and gentrification' which has gradually seen community spaces, such as the Southport pier, which closed in 2022, being lost and the increased isolation of people in many areas. Referring to previous research, the report said 50 UK pubs close for good each month, an estimated 600 youth clubs shut between 2012 and 2016, and London lost almost 10 local authority-run community spaces a year between 2018 and 2023. It has suggested a '21st-century welfare fund' raised through a so-called Amazon tax, whereby warehouses and distribution centres are subject to higher levies or online sales taxes. It argued that online retailers, which build 'giant structures' – a demonstration of their high value – often do not contribute 'sufficiently to the communities around them'. A tax on companies with revenues over £1 million could help generate 'larger, more sustained resources for communities than current community regeneration efforts', it said. The report said: 'If there is a thread connecting the high-octane events of late July (2024) and the slow local politics of the pier, it is the loss of physical spaces where we might come together, and the radicalisation of some of the digital spaces that have replaced them. 'There is an appetite for community action, as the campaign for the pier shows, but a lack of investment and space. 'In the absence of structures which might foster wider solidarities, many retreat into the sphere of the home, or worse, into ethno-nationalist fantasies of muscular sovereignty.' Report author Dr Sacha Hilhorst said: 'The Southport riots were a wake-up call – a stark reminder of what can happen when communities lose the places that once brought people together. In the absence of shared spaces, misinformation and hate can fill the void, creating tinderbox conditions for violence. 'Rebuilding local infrastructure isn't just about nostalgia – it's a vital bulwark against division and the dangerous pull of the far right. 'But communities are not apathetic. They are crying out for places to gather, to organise, and to belong. We need a new generation of institutions to help them do just that.' Dr Parth Patel, associate director at the IPPR, said: 'Where shared spaces are lost, a sense of decline and disconnection takes root – and with it, dangerous alternatives thrive. 'The far right is exploiting the void where solidarity used to live – they capitalised on Southport's disrepair to sow disorder. 'If we're serious about social renewal, we must rebuild the civic infrastructure that once helped people support each other and shape their communities.' The government has been contacted for comment. Solve the daily Crossword
