Nigel Farage has been condemned for his response to the Southport stabbings, with the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox accusing the Reform leader of “inciting a riot”.

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On Tuesday afternoon, before the riots began, Mr Farage had posted a video to social media responding to the attack, questioning why the incident was not being treated as terror-related and asking whether the “truth is being withheld from us”. He also asked whether the suspect, who is 17 and has not been identified, was being monitored by the security services.

In a statement the same day, Merseyside Police had stressed the “incident is not currently being treated as terror-related”.

Hitting out at Mr Farage’s response, Brendan Cox said: “Imagine your response to the death of three children being to peddle conspiracy theories that incite a riot.

“This is why Farage deserves the label far-right. Everyone who is associated with him, has normalised him or promoted him should be ashamed. This is vile.”

Ms Cox, the former Batley and Spen MP was killed by far-right terrorist Thomas Mair in June 2016, a week before the EU referendum took place.

Labour MP Jess Phillips also criticised the Reform UK leader, claimed he was “grifting” and pointing out that he failed to turn up to Parliament for a statement on the incident.

Ms Phillips, the MP for Birmginham Yardley, said: “Nigel Farage could yesterday have had the questions, he claims are unanswered, answered if he had bothered to turn up to parliament and ask them during the statement on the incidents in Southport. He didn’t turn up, he grifted instead.”