Weaponising the Far-Right Narrative in Response to the Post-Southport Unrest in 2024

Abstract

This paper critically examines the construction and deployment of the “far-right” narrative in response to the unrest that followed the Southport murders in the summer of 2024. Drawing on discussions from the interdisciplinary “Reading the Riots” workshop, it explores how political and media narratives shape public understandings of complex social events. The analysis argues that the rapid adoption of the far-right explanation by government, mainstream media, and advocacy organisations was accompanied by limited evidential support and often relied on broad and contested definitions of the term itself. By reviewing official reports, parliamentary inquiries, and policing assessments, the paper identifies a significant disparity between the dominant narrative and available evidence concerning the motivations and backgrounds of those involved in the unrest. It further considers the potential functions of the narrative, including the denial, dismissal, and de-legitimisation of wider social grievances, particularly among sections of the white working class. The paper concludes that the far-right narrative operated as a powerful political framing device and warns that its continued deployment risks obscuring underlying social tensions while potentially contributing to further political polarisation.