Recent violence in NI was intolerable, PM says

The prime minister has called the recent racially-motivated violence in Northern Ireland “intolerable".

Sir Keir Starmer was speaking on a visit to east Belfast where he met the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, injured police officers and people from minority communities.

Dozens of PSNI officers were injured as they dealt with racially-motivated trouble on Belfast's streets in recent weeks, linked to anti-immigration protests.

There have been dozens of arrests and people charged in Northern Ireland in connection with the disturbances.

'They deserve our thanks'

Police also faced disorder in Londonderry involving young people.

Police have released more images of people they would like to speak to in connection with their ongoing investigation into a number of incidents of disorder since Saturday 3 August.

The prime minister said the disorder was “incapable of justification, it’s clearly racist and does not represent the modern forward looking Northern Ireland that I know this place is”.

Sir Keir said he was meeting police officers to say “thank you for what they have done”.

“We have made big asks of them, they step up and they deserve our thanks,” he added.

He said he had also spoken to the senior PSNI leadership “about the challenges they face and the support that they need”.

Sir Keir said there had been discussions about “resourcing and capability” in the PSNI.

“Mainly of course that’s a devolved issue, as I think everybody understands, but nonetheless we have had that discussion about what further support can go in,” he added.

“Whether that’s financial or whether it is in other ways in terms of making sure the system works better.”

Mr Boutcher said he was incredibly proud of the efforts of his officers and "very grateful to the prime minister for the support he has shown the Police Service of Northern Ireland with his visit here today".

“It is clear from my conversations with Sir Keir that he is deeply invested in policing in Northern Ireland," he said.

"Today’s visit was a valuable opportunity for him to hear from those, quite literally on the front line about the challenges, threats and violence they face.

“I know he was as impressed as I always am at the courage and professionalism shown by PSNI officers in the face of such senseless and despicable attacks.

“I briefed the prime minister on the significant challenges facing the PSNI and I was grateful for the opportunity to discuss these with him again.”

Sir Keir Starmer met the chief constable at police HQ

Funding pitch by police chief

By BBC News NI crime and justice correspondent Julian O'Neill

Sir Keir Starmer will have heard Jon Boutcher’s funding concerns before, when he was in Northern Ireland in July after winning the election.

The chief constable is on record as stating the PSNI budget has suffered a real terms cut of 29% since 2010.

Earlier this month, he told the Policing Board it had projected funding pressures of £140m this year.

This includes the estimated compensation costs over a major data leak in 2023.

Analysis done for the PSNI suggests if spending on police had kept pace with England and Wales, it would have at least 8,000 officers.

That is 1,700 more than at present.

This is central to Mr Boutcher’s arguments to London for more money.

The PSNI receives a budget of about £800m a year, the vast majority of it coming from the Stormont Department of Justice under the block grant.

In pitching for extra cash, Mr Boutcher has gone over the heads of the Stormont Executive.

He recently complained that the PSNI appeared to have been abandoned by local political parties.

'Complete nonsense'

When asked about funding for Casement Park in west Belfast, Sir Keir said there would be an announcement “in due course”.

The Gaelic games stadium has been chosen as one of the host venues for Euro 2028, however, uncertainty remains over how the project will be funded and if it can be built in time.

He dismissed as "complete nonsense" reports that his chief of staff Sue Gray was causing division in Labour over her support for the project.

Last week, 80 officers from Police Scotland arrived in Northern Ireland to help support PSNI duties.

Stormont's Justice Minister Naomi Long said she would ask for more funding to help the PSNI meet the costs of bringing in reinforcements from Scotland.

It is Sir Keir's second visit to Northern Ireland since he became prime minister in July.

It is also his second in-person engagement with the PSNI chief constable since entering Downing Street.

PSNI officer numbers have been at record lows for more than a year - it currently has about 6,300.

During his last visit to Northern Ireland, Sir Keir met the first and deputy first ministers and other political representatives at Stormont.

He emphasised a "reset" in relationships between the UK government and the Northern Ireland Executive.

It followed the devolved institutions being restored in February after a two-year hiatus.