Home Secretary faces backlash over Northern Ireland comments while criticising what she calls pro-Palestinian 'hate marches'

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has used Northern Ireland as a point of comparison as she characterised pro-Palestinian demonstrations planned for the UK on Armistice Day as "hate marches".

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has described the planned protests as "disrespectful" while other senior Tories have pressured the Metropolitan Police to ban the demonstration.

Writing in The Times, Mrs Braverman said "hate marchers" intend to use the Armistice Day protest as a "show of strength".

The Home Secretary also characterised alleged reports that organisers of Saturday's march were linked to Hamas as "disturbingly reminiscent of Ulster".

Mrs Braverman said, "I do not believe that these marches are merely a cry for help for Gaza. "

"They are an assertion of primacy by certain groups - particularly Islamists - of the kind we are more used to seeing in Northern Ireland."

"Also disturbingly reminiscent of Ulster are the reports that some of Saturday's march group organisers have links to terrorist groups, including Hamas."

Responding to the article, Labour MP Jess Philips said, "Braverman makes our country less safe, not satisfied with inflaming tensions in London she thought she'd also light a match under Northern Ireland relations. No right thinking Prime Minister would stand by her let alone approve her copy."

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