UK PM Starmer vows stronger powers against Iran after Golders Green attack
Synopsis
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared the Golders Green stabbing of two Jewish pedestrians a turning point — not a one-off — and is fast-tracking legislation to counter state-level threats from countries like Iran, ban hate preachers, and shut down charities promoting anti-Semitic extremism. The move signals one of Britain's sharpest government responses to antisemitic violence in recent memory.
Key Takeaways
Two Jewish pedestrians were stabbed in Golders Green , north-west London; counter-terrorism police declared it a terror attack .
PM Keir Starmer vowed to fast-track legislation granting stronger powers to counter threats from states like Iran .
Starmer acknowledged multiple recent attacks: Hendon , the Jewish Ambulance Service , Kenton United Synagogue firebombing, and Heaton Park, Manchester .
The government will shut down charities promoting anti-Semitic extremism and ban hate preachers from entering the UK and appearing on campuses.
Starmer warned that using the phrase "globalise the intifada" amounts to calling for terrorism and those who use it "should be prosecuted." Increased visible police presence in Jewish communities is being coordinated immediately.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, 30 April 2025 called for stronger legislative powers to counter what he described as the 'malign' threat posed by states like Iran, speaking directly to the nation following a terror attack on Jewish pedestrians in Golders Green, north-west London. British counter-terrorism police have officially declared the incident — in which two Jewish pedestrians were stabbed — a terror attack.
What Starmer Announced
Addressing the country in a video statement, Starmer pledged to fast-track legislation targeting state-sponsored threats to British Jews. He committed to increasing visible police presence in Jewish communities and investing further in Jewish security services. "Much stronger powers to shut down charities that promote anti-Semitic extremism will be introduced," he stated. The government also announced plans to prevent hate preachers from entering the country and bar them from campuses, streets, and communities.
The Attacks Starmer Acknowledged
Starmer did not limit his remarks to the Golders Green stabbing. He explicitly acknowledged a series of recent incidents targeting the Jewish community: the attack in Hendon, the assault on the Jewish Ambulance Service, the firebombing of Kenton United Synagogue, and the attack in Heaton Park in Manchester. "The truth is this attack is not a one-off," he stated. He thanked first responders on behalf of the country for their bravery.
What the Prime Minister Said About Jewish Life in Britain
Starmer painted a stark picture of daily fear within the British Jewish community, saying Jews are "scared to show who they are in their community, to go to synagogue and practise their religion, scared to go to university, to send their children to school, or to tell their colleagues that they are Jewish, even to use the National Health Service." He added: "Nobody should live like that in Britain, but Jews do." He met members of the community in Golders Green and expressed his sadness and solidarity.
Warning on Extremist Rhetoric
Starmer issued a pointed warning on protest conduct and extremist slogans. "If you are marching with people wearing pictures of paragliders without calling it out, you are venerating the murder of Jews. If you stand alongside people who say globalise the intifada, you are calling for terrorism against Jews, and people who use that phrase should be prosecuted," he stated. This comes amid heightened scrutiny of pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the UK following the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.
What Happens Next
The government is expected to fast-track the legislative package, with details on the expanded counter-extremism powers to follow. Increased police deployments in Jewish neighbourhoods are reportedly being coordinated immediately. The counter-terrorism investigation into the Golders Green stabbing remains active, with authorities yet to publicly identify the suspect's alleged links to any foreign state actor.
Point of View
Not just 'extremism'. That is a significant diplomatic escalation, and one that will be watched closely in Tehran, Washington, and Brussels. Yet the harder question is whether fast-tracked legislation can address what is, in part, a domestic radicalisation problem that successive UK governments have struggled to contain. The acknowledgement that British Jews fear using the NHS or identifying themselves to colleagues is a damning indictment of a decade of policy drift on community security — and Starmer owns that failure as much as he now claims the solution.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Golders Green attack?
Two Jewish pedestrians were stabbed in the north-west London neighbourhood of Golders Green. British counter-terrorism police declared the incident a terror attack, making it the latest in a series of assaults targeting the Jewish community in the UK.
Why did Starmer single out Iran?
Starmer stated the government knows 'for a fact' that states like Iran want to harm British Jews, framing the threat as state-sponsored rather than purely domestic extremism. He cited this as justification for fast-tracking new legislative powers.
What new measures is the UK government introducing?
The government plans to fast-track legislation to shut down charities promoting anti-Semitic extremism, ban hate preachers from entering the UK and from campuses and communities, increase visible police presence in Jewish areas, and invest more in Jewish security services.
What did Starmer say about protest slogans like 'globalise the intifada'?
Starmer stated that people who use the phrase 'globalise the intifada' are calling for terrorism against Jews and should be prosecuted. He also said marching alongside people displaying paraglider imagery without condemning it amounts to venerating the murder of Jews.
Is the Golders Green attack an isolated incident?
No. Starmer explicitly stated 'this attack is not a one-off,' referencing attacks in Hendon, on the Jewish Ambulance Service, the firebombing of Kenton United Synagogue, and an assault in Heaton Park, Manchester, as part of a broader pattern.
