Antisemitic Attacks

Debate between David Taylor and Dan Jarvis

Monday 20th April 2026 Commons Chamber

[Dan Jarvis]

The hon. Gentleman’s constituent’s words are deeply concerning and the situation is totally unacceptable. I hope that he will acknowledge that the Government have put a lot of money into protecting places of worship around the country. Given the particular circumstances of that case, however, perhaps he might drop me a note with the details. I give an assurance that I will look carefully at it and see what we can do.

[David Taylor (Hemel Hempstead) (Lab)]

This is not a series of isolated crimes; this is a pattern of frequent and repeated targeting of Jewish sites and communities across London, designed to intimidate and make people feel unsafe in their daily lives. If foreign-linked actors like Iran are using individuals in the UK to carry out attacks on Jewish sites, that is not just a policing matter; it is, of course, a national security issue.

I again raise the urgent need for financial sanctions on Iran’s PressTV, where Palestine Declassified broadcasts information about Jewish charities, and its antisemitic presenters have suggested on Twitter that direct action against Jewish community institutions is appropriate. I am grateful for the Minister’s update and his answers, particularly on charities, but I urge him to meet me, other concerned MPs and the CST to discuss how the Government’s approach to antisemitism and the security of Jewish communities can be further strengthened.

[Dan Jarvis]

Of course, I would be very happy to meet my hon. Friend and the CST, which I engage with on a very regular basis. He is right to describe this as a pattern of behaviour. I hope he accepts that we are doing everything that we possibly can, not just to deter and disrupt this activity, but to defeat it. He will have seen the decisive action over the weekend—15 arrests. Clearly, I am not going to prejudice ongoing investigations, and we do not know quite where those investigations will lead, but that is a significant level of activity by the Metropolitan police over the weekend. As I said earlier, anybody who is considering undertaking this kind of activity at the behest of some other entity for payment should have a very long, hard think about doing it.

Palestine Action: Proscription and Protests

Debate between David Taylor and Dan Jarvis

Monday 8th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[David Taylor (Hemel Hempstead) (Lab)]

Last August, a police officer was hospitalised after being hit with a sledgehammer while responding to a Palestine Action attack on a business near Bristol—a fact that was absent from our debate when we voted to proscribe that organisation recently. The attackers had sledgehammers, axes, whips and other home-made weapons. Does the Minister agree that that crosses the line of any legitimate protest—into terrorism?

[Dan Jarvis]

Yes, I would.

Irish Republican Alleged Incitement

Debate between David Taylor and Dan Jarvis

Tuesday 29th April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Dan Jarvis]

He says that he did not receive the letter. Let me say therefore that I would, of course, be very happy to meet him, and I am keen to do that as quickly as possible.

[David Taylor (Hemel Hempstead) (Lab)]

Yesterday, I wrote to Glastonbury festival, urging it to remove this music group from its line-up because they have allegedly called for the murder of Conservative colleagues in this House, and because we have seen footage of them appearing to show support for Hezbollah and Hamas, including by waving a flag of a proscribed organisation. Words, as others have said, have tragic consequences. Beloved colleagues Jo Cox and Sir David Amess were tragically murdered, and 16 June 2016 remains one of the worst days of my life. I know many colleagues in this House feel the same. We all have a duty to prevent that from ever happening again.

I welcome the Minister’s comments about Glastonbury. Does he agree that iTunes, Spotify, YouTube and others should strongly consider taking the group’s music off their platforms until the police investigation is over? May I also note the absence of the right hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn), who is not present and not involved in this discussion? Will the Minister join me in condemning the right hon. Member for Islington North’s appearance in a photograph with the group, and in calling for him to apologise for that?