Nigel Farage has branded the handling of the Southport killings case "the most appalling cover-up I think I've ever seen" after details emerged about the perpetrator's background.
Speaking on GB News, the Reform UK leader claimed he was "vilified" by senior newspaper publications, broadcasters and politicians for questioning why information about the attacker was being withheld.
"We've been denied the truth and now we're told we're having a public inquiry. They're saying 'please don't say anything in case you prejudice that'," Nigel said.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, today pleaded guilty to murdering three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last July.
The teenager admitted killing Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at Liverpool Crown Court.
He also pleaded guilty to attempting to murder eight other children and two adults, including dance instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
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The court heard Rudakubana had possessed an Al Qaeda manual and ricin, a biological toxin, discovered during police searches of his home.
The Liverpool Echo reported that official documentation showed Rudakubana had been referred to Prevent, the counter-terrorism programme, four times before the attack.
The revelations came as prosecutors at Liverpool Crown Court described Rudakubana as a "young man with a sickening and sustained interest in death and violence".
The attack, which prosecutors said left an "enduring mark on our community and the nation for its savagery and senselessness", was not declared a terrorist incident.
Nigel criticised senior political figures' response to the case, saying: "We get the prime minister, the Home Secretary screaming at the far-right, daring not to admit to the public that actually, this is a terrorist."
"The prime minister, the Home Secretary and Liverpool Police are trying to run away from this and it's just not good enough," he added.
He claimed online speculation about the attacker's identity had been "going absolutely crazy" when he questioned whether the man was known to authorities.
Teachers had raised concerns about Rudakubana's behaviour before the attack, with the teenager being excluded from Range High School in Formby following an incident with a hockey stick.
He was later moved to a specialist school in Sefton, where staff were concerned about his violence towards others.
The teenager, who is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, had previously appeared in a BBC Children in Need advert aged 11, dressed as Doctor Who.
At court appearances, Rudakubana covered his face with his sweatshirt and was seen smiling at press members.
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Speaking on GB News, the Reform UK leader claimed he was "vilified" by senior newspaper publications, broadcasters and politicians for questioning why information about the attacker was being withheld.
"We've been denied the truth and now we're told we're having a public inquiry. They're saying 'please don't say anything in case you prejudice that'," Nigel said.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, today pleaded guilty to murdering three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last July.
The teenager admitted killing Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at Liverpool Crown Court.
He also pleaded guilty to attempting to murder eight other children and two adults, including dance instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- Public inquiry announced after failures of anti-extremism scheme to prevent Southport murders
- As Rudakubana pleads guilty, why has the CPS not classified the murder of three girls as terrorism?
- Shapiro lets rip at grooming gang failures: ‘Children sacrificed on the altar of multiculturalism’
The court heard Rudakubana had possessed an Al Qaeda manual and ricin, a biological toxin, discovered during police searches of his home.
The Liverpool Echo reported that official documentation showed Rudakubana had been referred to Prevent, the counter-terrorism programme, four times before the attack.
The revelations came as prosecutors at Liverpool Crown Court described Rudakubana as a "young man with a sickening and sustained interest in death and violence".
The attack, which prosecutors said left an "enduring mark on our community and the nation for its savagery and senselessness", was not declared a terrorist incident.
Nigel criticised senior political figures' response to the case, saying: "We get the prime minister, the Home Secretary screaming at the far-right, daring not to admit to the public that actually, this is a terrorist."
"The prime minister, the Home Secretary and Liverpool Police are trying to run away from this and it's just not good enough," he added.
He claimed online speculation about the attacker's identity had been "going absolutely crazy" when he questioned whether the man was known to authorities.
Teachers had raised concerns about Rudakubana's behaviour before the attack, with the teenager being excluded from Range High School in Formby following an incident with a hockey stick.
He was later moved to a specialist school in Sefton, where staff were concerned about his violence towards others.
The teenager, who is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, had previously appeared in a BBC Children in Need advert aged 11, dressed as Doctor Who.
At court appearances, Rudakubana covered his face with his sweatshirt and was seen smiling at press members.
Find Out More...