Latest news with #IPPR
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Southport MP says government ‘must do more' to support riot towns year on from attack
Southport's MP has said the government 'must do more' to support towns such as Southport a year on from last July's attack and riots. Patrick Hurley, Southport's Labour MP, had been elected just weeks before the attack and rushed back from Westminster after hearing the news. Describing Southport's close-knit community, he said: 'Lots of people know each other, and what happened with the attack last year, we had over 20 girls in the room. When you get a gathering of that number of kids in a town like Southport, everybody knows somebody who has been affected. 'There's a lot more to Southport than what happened. But it will always be a part of the town's story and history. But we can move on and remember it at the same time.' He said the 'emotional outpouring' displayed by the community during the clean-up after the riot was the 'manifestation of Southport's community spirit'. However, he warned the government 'must do more' to support communities where riots took place across the country last summer. A paper published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) on Tuesday found that the loss of shared community spaces – from youth clubs and leisure centres to high-street pubs and piers – is leaving communities more vulnerable to far-right influence. He told The Independent: 'The civil disobedience we saw last summer was overwhelmingly in small towns like Southport, such as Stoke-on-Trent, Tamworth and Rotherham. It appears that what these places all have in common is that they've all been on the sharp end of public service cuts in austerity years, and they feel like they've not been given a fair crack of the whip over the last 20 years. 'It's very clear that, while there are no justified concerns that could lead anybody to throw a petrol bomb at a police van, there are nevertheless reasons why people are angry with an economy and a government that prior to last July, didn't listen to them, which took money and funding away from them.' It comes after it was recently warned that protests which have turned violent recently are taking a 'massive toll' on police forces across the UK, as fears rise over the prospect of another summer of riots. Mr Hurley added: 'I think it's incumbent on this government now to reverse those years of austerity and to make sure towns like Southport and other places that either suffered riots or shared commonalities with places that did are given a much better economic deal. 'I think we need to do much more to make sure people realise this is a government on their side because otherwise people might decide to take matters into their own hands again.' 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.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
How ‘Amazon tax' could save your local pub and community
A new report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) proposes a tax on wealthy firms, such as Amazon, to fund community regeneration and foster social cohesion. The suggestion follows summer riots, including those in Southport, which the IPPR links to community disrepair and the loss of shared physical spaces. The report highlights a significant decline in community venues across the UK, citing the closure of hundreds of pubs, youth clubs, and local authority spaces. It recommends establishing a '21st-century welfare fund' through higher levies on online retailers' warehouses or an online sales tax, targeting companies with revenues over £1 million. The IPPR argues that rebuilding local infrastructure is vital to combat division and counter the influence of the far-right, which exploits the void left by lost community solidarity.
South Wales Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Call for Amazon tax to rebuild local communities year on from Southport 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.'
Rhyl Journal
2 days ago
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Call for Amazon tax to rebuild local communities year on from Southport 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.'
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Call for Amazon tax to rebuild local communities year on from Southport 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.'
