Tory shadow minister says sorry after appearing to justify riots

The Conservative shadow Welsh secretary has apologised after he was accused of “inflaming” the riots by suggesting they were politically justified.

Lord (Byron) Davies became embroiled in the controversy while exchanging comments with a Mail on Sunday columnist on X.

The columnist, Dan Hodges, had posted: “There’s no political justification for the disorder we have seen. But if people want to get into the blame game these are the facts. The Tories were in power for 14 years. Labour have been in power for four weeks. Blaming Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper for this is just ridiculous.”

Davies, the former MP for Gower, responded: “But Labour blocked the Rwanda Bill 130+ times of course it’s politically justified!”

Jo Stevens, Labour’s Welsh secretary, was among many who condemned the peer for his remarks.

“The shadow Welsh secretary’s comments are disgusting, misguided and dangerous. Racist violence is never justified,” she said. “Politicians, including unelected ones, have an important responsibility to de-escalate tensions. Those inflaming them should seriously consider their position.”

Davies, who is now shadowing Stevens after the Tories lost every seat in Wales at the last election, posted on X: “I apologise if earlier words have been misconstrued, particularly at such a sensitive time. To be crystal clear, I utterly condemn the violence in our cities. What I am criticising is Labour’s totally negative approach to immigration & organised crime. I stand by that.”

Anti-immigration rioters were seen attacking police and smashing the windows of a hotel in Rotherham on Sunday as the atmosphere turned increasingly febrile on the sixth day of unrest in England.

Masked men launched lengths of wood and sprayed fire extinguishers at officers outside a Holiday Inn Express, with some storming past a police line and into the ground floor, which was set on fire during the disorder.

At least 10 officers were injured, including one who was knocked unconscious, South Yorkshire police confirmed later, saying one person was already arrested and others involved should “expect us to be at their doors very soon”.

A group of rioters in Middlesbrough smashed the windows of houses and cars and hurled objects at officers on Sunday afternoon, with one seen shouting a racial slur and another telling police: “It’s our country.”

Similar scenes of unrest in Southport, Belfast, Hartlepool , Hull, Liverpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham, Sunderland and elsewhere had taken place earlier in the week.

Cleveland police has said nine arrests have been made.