Starmer: Police must have feared for their lives in Golders Green attack | BBC Radio 4 Today

In this BBC Radio 4 Today programme interview, Prime Minister Keir Starmer addresses two major crises facing the UK. The first concerns rising antisemitism, prompted by a knife attack in Golders Green. Starmer describes visiting the scene and meeting the officers who apprehended the attacker, defending their use of force by noting they had fired both taser shots and may have feared the suspect was carrying an explosive device. He condemns Zac Goldsmith for criticising the officers, calling it 'disgraceful' and saying Goldsmith is 'not fit to lead any political party.'

On the broader issue of antisemitism, Starmer acknowledges the Jewish community's deep fear and anxiety, citing concerns about safety in schools, the NHS, synagogues, and public spaces. He argues that too many people either fail to see or choose to ignore antisemitism, and singles out the chant 'Globalize the Intifada' as something that should be prosecuted. He expresses openness to both tougher policing of protest language and potentially stopping certain protests altogether, while stopping short of endorsing a full moratorium. He pushes back against the criticism that he acted too slowly, pointing to enhanced police security already in place in Golders Green and Kenton.

When pressed on whether he applies equal toughness to Islamic extremism as to the far right, Starmer says yes, and acknowledges that in some communities children are taught to hate Jews. He frames the fight against antisemitism as a whole-of-society issue and a fight for the kind of tolerant, diverse Britain he believes in.

The second half of the interview focuses on the economic fallout from the Iran war and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Starmer warns this is a generational crisis comparable in scale to COVID, Brexit, and the 2008 financial crash. He notes that earlier economic green shoots — falling inflation, interest rate cuts, and better-than-expected growth — are now under threat. He argues that the UK must not simply try to return to the pre-crisis status quo, which he says was already not working after 20 years of flatlining. Instead, he calls for a stronger, fairer Britain with deeper EU ties and greater resilience to global shocks.