Jonathan Ashworth Shadow Health Secretary, has expressed regret for sending condolences and his sympathies to the family members of the suicide bomber who detonated a taxi outside a Liverpool hospital on Remembrance Day
The Labour Frontbench MP, who sent his condolences and ‘condolences” to the family of the suicide bomber who targeted a taxi outside Liverpool Hospital on Remembrance Day has now apologised.
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth told Sky News of his horror at the explosion outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital yesterday when he made the embarrassing gaffe today.
Today, he told the radio broadcaster that he thought it was shocking that such an incident could happen anyplace but especially outside of a women’s maternity unit. We pay our respects, and offer our condolences for the loss of life to his family. “I just wanted to express my gratitude for the prompt response of the emergency services.”
Amid uproar on social media this afternoon, the MP for Leicester South apologised on Twitter, insisting he had ‘misread the news ticker’ and had ‘thought a member of the public had now died’.
The suspected attacker was killed in the explosion outside the hospital in Liverpool just before 11am on Remembrance Sunday, as Britons paid tribute to the men and women who have died in war.
Blogger Darren Grimes rants: ‘Labour Frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth sent his ‘condolences’’ to the family who set off a bomb at a maternity ward. It was impossible to make this up.
Patrick O’Flynn, a political commentator, thundered that Jonathan Ashworth spoke before the terrorist attack here was well-known.
Sky News interviewed Mr Ashworth and he said that it was inappropriate to speculate about the circumstances or motives at this time. The appropriate authorities must conduct their investigations. We should leave the emergency services.
“But I believe the Prime Minister will mention this when he addresses Parliament later today. And we all will look forward to listening to what he says about this terrible, horrendous situation and how it will be resolved.
The MP for Leicester South apologized on Twitter amid social media chaos this afternoon. He claimed he had misread the news ticker and had mistakenly believed that a member had died.
The controlled explosion was carried out by a bomb squad near Liverpool’s Sefton Park in relation to the suicide bombing that occurred outside of a hospital this Remembrance Sunday. Sefton park explosion was ‘part of ongoing investigation into terrorist incident’ at Liverpool Women’s Hospital yesterday morning just before 11:00am. Residents’should not be concerned’
The moment a taxi with an alleged suicide bomber burst outside a Liverpool hospital. This was what MI5 and police are currently investigating as a Poppy Day terrorist attack
Boris Johnson today called on the public to remain vigilant after the UK’s terror threat was increased to grave following the blast at Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
POPPY DAY HOSPITAL EXPLOSION: HOW EVENTS UNFOLDED ON REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
The vehicle was seen in the street outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital Sunday afternoon.
Sunday, November 14, 2008
10.57am: The taxi stops at Liverpool Women’s Hospital. It explodes seconds after.
10.59am: It is completely submerged just before Remembrance Day’s National Silence.
The driver sustained serious injuries and was also killed while the passenger died. According to some reports, the driver was the one who spotted the explosives and jumped from the vehicle.
The remembrance services, which included scores of veterans and military personnel, were taking place in Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral. It was less than 1 mile away. Reports state that the taxi stopped at the hospital to get closer to the Cathedral.
11.04am: Initial investigations suggest that the fire started from fuel damage.
1pm: The incident has been deemed terrorist by officers who are said to have talked to David Perry (hero taxi driver).
4.54pm: Rutland Avenue is sealed off by police (right). The blast occurred approximately one mile away. According to locals, armed police ordered people to evacuate the blast zone and go to nearby leisure centres. They claimed that it was unsafe and they were “pointing guns at houses”. The scene was also attended by counter-terrorist negotiators.
6.59pm: The men – aged 29, 26, and 21 – were detained in the Kensington area of the city and arrested under the Terrorism Act.
Monday, November 15,
3.30am: It appears that the Rutland Avenue operation is ending.
10am: Footage of the explosion emerges on CCTV from the scene.
Midday: Police confirm it is being treated as a terror attack. A man aged 20 becomes the fourth suspect.
3pm: The Prime Minister raised the UK’s terror threat to “severe” and spoke at Downing Street’s press conference. He said that yesterday’s attack was a stark reminder to people to be vigilant.
“And our freedoms, and our way to live will always win.”
Tonight, the bomb squad carried out an explosion controlled near a Liverpool home that had been raided as part of the investigation into this explosive.
Sefton Park residents shouldn’t worry as the explosion was part of ongoing investigations into terrorist incidents.
Following a COBRA meeting in Downing Street, the UK’s terror risk level was increased to’severe” today. After the four-week-old cab bombing in Merseyside, and Sir David Amess’s assassination in Leigh-on-Sea, experts from the police and security services informed the Prime Minister that another terrorist attack against British soil was now “highly probable”.
Boris Johnson called for the nation to stay ‘vigilant at today’s Covid briefing, calling the bombing a stark reminder’ to all. The attack follows reports that the suspect terrorist arrived in the UK several years back from the Middle East. MI5 did not know of the claim.
Johnson stated that he was proud of the British people’s refusal to be controlled by terror and would not accept violence from those seeking to divide them. We will continue to defend our rights and live our life as normal.
Priti Patel (Home Secretary) stated that “The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre” is raising the threat level for Britain from significant to severe. It’s not random. Yesterday’s incident is the second within a month.
MI5 spy and detectives are investigating whether this bombing was inspired by Islamists or if the terrorist was motivated to murder himself.
According to security sources, the suspect may have set up his bomb at home in Liverpool. He is believed to also have moved from the Middle East to settle in Britain many years ago. MailOnline understands that MI5 agents were unaware of the suspect before yesterday’s attack.
Witnesses today captured armed police climbing the wall of Kensington’s terraced houses with ladders. The address had been identified as the location for the suicide bomber. He was seen outside the maternity hospital at Remembrance Day. CCTV captured the taxi bombing. The driver David Perry was also present today and has been heralded as a hero because he apparently locked the doors that would prevent Perry from getting into the hospital.
Two addresses are being searched by officers: one at Sutcliffe Street, and another at Rutland Avenue, Sefton, to find’significant’ items, including bomb-making equipment.
At a Sutcliffe Street terraced home, Liverpool, S41 of Terrorism Act was used to arrest three men aged 21, 26, and 29 yesterday. Another man of 20 years was taken into custody in Kensington for the same terror crime. He had returned from the Kensington property.
Police have “attributed” the bomber’s addresses to investigators, but they aren’t sure of his exact location. Last night at 9.45 pm anti-terror police entered the Sutcliffe Street front and back to determine if the suspect was part of a group or a single wolf.
Officers trained their guns on suspects and ordered them to lay down. Matthew Heitman (26), who lived opposite the raided home, stated that two of the suspects were taken out by officers at gunpoint. They then had the victims pushed against the wall. It was not too long since the people who lived there moved in.
Sharon Cullen, a neighbor, stated that her 22-year old daughter, and 2-year-old grandson, were taken from their home by Sharon Cullen.
She stated that she was beaten by the police and asked for help. An officer replied, “We need to evacuate your house immediately.” The officers said that whatever was going on behind the house could cause damage to the neighborhood. It was quite frightening.
After keeping the suspect within his cab just seconds before it burst, Mr Perry is credited for saving many lives. He is now doing well but his wife says he’s very sore. His escape from the cab was an ‘utter miracle.
Rachel Perry shared this message on Facebook: “I’d like to thank everyone who’s contacted me and asked how David was doing. While he’s doing fine, he’s still extremely sore and struggling to comprehend what has happened.
“There have been rumors that he is a hero who locks the passengers in the car. He is undoubtedly lucky to still be alive. He was inside the car when it exploded. It is amazing that he was able to get away. There were certainly guardian angels watching over him.
Before today’s COBRA meeting, Mr Perry was praised by the Prime Minister for his ‘incredible presence’ and ‘bravery’.
Joanne Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool added that the taxi driver had managed to deflect what could’ve been an awful tragedy at the hospital. He said that he also had “locked the doors” to ensure the bomber was not in the back.
Three men and one suspect were taken into custody at the Sutcliffe Street house. Police also visited another nearby location.
Hero taxi driver David Perry (left, and right with his wife Rachel) who apparently locked a suicide bomber in his car before a blast ripped through the vehicle outside a maternity hospital in Liverpool on Sunday
These were the circumstances that lead to yesterday’s explosion at Liverpool Women’s Hospital and subsequent raids and arrests
Russ Jackson, Counter Terrorism North West Assistant Chief Constable said that they knew the identity and believed the bomber was a taxi passenger.
According to him, it was unclear what drove the attack. We have found evidence that an improvised explosion device (IED) was made. Our suspicion is that it was created by the taxi driver.
It is not known why the woman took her to the Women’s Hospital, nor the cause of the sudden explosion. The ignition took place shortly before 11 o’clock in the morning, as we are aware of Remembrance events located nearby.
“We can’t at the moment draw any connections with this, but it is an avenue of inquiry that we are following.
“While the motive behind this incident is still unclear, considering all of the circumstances it was declared terrorist infraction and counter-terrorism operations are ongoing.
“Our investigations will now continue in order to understand how and why the device was made, to discover if there was any involvement of anyone else,” said the spokesperson.