A year after the arson attack on Peacehaven mosque, Chris Ward MP asked ministers what more can stop hate crime. The minister pointed to a £40m mosque fund.
A year on from the arson attack on Peacehaven mosque, Chris Ward, the MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, has asked the Government what more it can do to stop hate crime of that kind and bring communities back together.
He raised it at Home Office Questions in the Commons on Monday 26 October. “October marks the first anniversary since the appalling arson attack on a mosque in Peacehaven in my constituency,” he told MPs, according to the Hansard record.
“I will forever be grateful to the Home Secretary and the Policing Minister for coming to Peacehaven in the immediate aftermath and standing with me and the local community. I am also grateful to the Home Office for the extra security measures it has given to my community. A year on, what more does the Home Secretary think we can do to stop this kind of appalling hate crime and rebuild community cohesion so that something like that never happens again?”
What the minister said
Sarah Jones, the Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire, answered for the Government. “I thank my hon. Friend for the work he has done to support his community in Peacehaven,” she said. “We need to make sure that the right policing is in place. Our £40 million fund for mosques is there to protect those buildings, but we also need to bring back cohesion to our communities, and our social cohesion plan ‘Protecting What Matters’ is designed to do that.”
That plan is published on GOV.UK as Protecting What Matters: towards a more confident, cohesive and resilient United Kingdom.
Mr Ward’s office says the Government has paid for additional security at Peacehaven mosque, and he also pointed to a further £10 million in security funding to protect Muslim communities from hate crimes and attacks.
“We must do more than respond to attacks”
In a statement after the exchange, Mr Ward said:
“October marks one year since the appalling arson attack on Peacehaven mosque. The attack was deeply shocking and understandably caused real concern across our community.
“I will always be grateful to the Home Secretary and Policing Minister for coming to Peacehaven in the immediate aftermath and standing alongside me and local residents. I also welcome the additional security measures the Home Office has provided.
“But we must do more than respond to attacks when they happen. We need to ensure people feel safe in their communities, tackle hatred wherever it occurs and bring people together.
“I welcome the Government’s commitment to protecting places of worship and rebuilding social cohesion. I will continue to work with ministers and our local community to ensure the lessons of this appalling attack are not forgotten and that Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven remains a place where everyone feels safe and welcome.”
Earlier this month Mr Ward raised the Royal Mail delays in Woodingdean in a Westminster Hall debate, and the closure of two Kemptown LGBTQ+ bars at an earlier question time. If you have news from Peacehaven or anywhere in the constituency, send it to us.
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