Southport stabbings: Grandad of victim, 6, blasts Tories using tragedy for 'political gain'

Michael Weston King has slammed the "abhorrent" attempts by Tory leaders to use the tragedy which claimed his granddaughter's life for their own political gain

The grandad of the Southport stabbings' youngest victim has slammed the Tories who tried to use the tragedy for "political gain".

Bebe King's grandfather hit out at new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and rival Robert Jenrick over their response to the news that the suspected knifeman has been charged with terror offences.

The pair claimed information on the attack was hidden from the public, and demanded answers about when Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer knew suspect Axel Rudakubana, 18, was to face further offences.

Rudakubana, of Banks, Lancashire, will stand trial in January charged with the murders of Bebe, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine.

Last week, the teenager was charged with two further offences - including the production of a deadly toxin known as ricin, and possession of Al-Qaeda material.

Jenrick said: “The state should not be lying to its own citizens.”

Meanwhile Badenoch, who beat him in the Tory leadership race on Saturday, said there were “serious questions to be asked of the police, the CPS and also of Keir Starmer’s response to the whole situation”.

Now Bebe's grandad Michael Weston King, 62, has branded the pair as “abhorrent” for using the tragedy for “political gain”.

He posted on Instagram : “I have kept my powder dry on such matters, people playing politics with other people's grief, but watching the likes of Jenrick and Badenoch, in a pathetic bid to curry favour with the right wing of their party, and to use this most tragic of incidents for political gain is as abhorrent as it is unsurprising.”

He praised former Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire for “calling them out” in a recent Newsnight interview when she warned such comments could be “highly detrimental” to a potential trial.

Mr King added: “I say simply, to anyone, whichever side of the divide, keep my family’s grief, and that of the families of the other children out of your sordid campaigning.”

Rudakubana appeared at Westminster magistrates' court via videolink last week accused of making ricin and possessing a PDF file likely to be useful in committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

Although the latter charge falls under the Terrorism Act, police said last week that the Southport attack had not been declared as an act of terrorism.

Rudakubana refused to speak during the short court hearing and has been remanded in custody until his trial next year.

As well as three counts of murder, he also faces ten counts of attempted murder, and possession of a curved blade kitchen knife.

Sir Keir hit back at claims of a “cover up” and warned MPs they “can either support the police in their difficult work” on the case or “undermine” it.

Speaking at a news conference to deliver the update, Chief Constable Serena Kennedy of Merseyside Police said: "I want to reassure the communities of Southport and the communities of Merseyside that we are committed to getting justice for the families of Bebe, Elsie and Alice, the 10 victims who were injured at Hart Street and the other 16 people who were present on that day.

"We are also committed to being open and transparent with our communities. However, I am sure you will appreciate that we also need to make sure that we do not prejudice this trial. You may have seen speculation online that the police are deciding to keep information from the public. This is certainly not the case.

"We have been given extensive guidance by the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to what we can say publicly to ensure the integrity of the court proceedings are protected, and therefore we are restricted in what we can share with you."
She later added: "My plea is to be patient, don’t engage in rumour and speculation and don’t believe everything you read on social media."