No.10 has rejected accusations from the Tory leadership contenders that the government has been withholding facts about the Southport stabbings from the public.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, has been accused of murdering three young girls in July, an act of violence which sparked a wave of far-right riots across the country.
Merseyside Police revealed on Tuesday that he will also appear in court this week to be charged with producing the poison ricin and possessing a military study of an al-Qaeda training manual.
Counter Terrorism Police say that July’s attack will still not be seen as a terrorist incident as that requires evidence of a motive.
Kemi Badenoch, the current frontrunner in the Tory leadership race, responded to the updates on X, saying “this is why” she did not comment on the murders in the summer.
“As more information emerges, it is quite clear that there are serious questions to be asked of the police, the CPS and also of Keir Starmer’s response to the whole situation,” she said.
“Parliament is the right place for this to happen. While we must abide by the rules of contempt of court and not prejudice this case it is important that there is appropriate scrutiny.”
Her rival Robert Jenrick shared a similar message in a social media video, saying: “The public had a right to know the truth straight away.
“I am seriously concerned that facts may have been withheld from the public.
“Keir Starmer must urgently explain what he knew about the Southport attack and when he learned it.”
He added: “The government and authorities told us for months they were not treating this as a terrorist incident.”
He said the public had “a right to know the truth right away” and “any suggestion of a cover-up will permanently damage public trust”.
The Southport deaths triggered violent protests after social media misinformation falsely labelled the main suspect – who was born and raised in the UK – as an illegal migrant.
But Jenrick still used the opportunity to repeat his tough stance on immigration, adding in his video: “Across the board the hard reality of mass migration is being covered up. We need the truth – and we need to change.”
In response to the updates on the stabbings suspect, a Downing Street spokesperson said: “The government is focused on ensuring the families and all those affected receive justice, and first and foremost the prime minister’s thoughts are with those families and the local community.
“His thoughts remain firmly with them.”
She added that the government was not involved in decision-making or the timing of an announcement, saying: “Charging decisions and when those are made are for the CPS.”
She also said it was “not correct” to say the government had been involved in withholding facts.
After the police announcements, home secretary Yvette Cooper also warned against fresh speculation about the stabbings.
She said: “The most important thing is to get justice for Bebe, Alice and Elsie and their heartbroken families, and all those affected by the attack and nobody should put that at risk.
“The police and prosecutors have an important job to do in their investigation, pursuing every avenue and taking the action they need to ahead of the trial.
“We must support them and ensure that everything possible is done to deliver justice.”