Keir Starmer calls emergency Cobra meeting following Golders Green terror attack

Ed Griffiths
Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:11:40 +0000

Sir Keir Starmer has called a Cobra meeting following the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green.

The Prime Minister has called the terror attack in north west London "deeply concerning".

Speaking at the scene, courts minister and local MP Sarah Sackman said: "I want to say this to everybody listening and specifically to the British Jewish community and attack on Britain's Jews is an attack on Britain itself.

"We cannot tolerate this.

"The prime minister has called a Cobra meeting.

"It speaks to just how serious this incident is."

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She added: "What we need to see is solidarity... from our allies everywhere. This isn't a fight for just the police, for just the government, for just the Jewish community.

"It is a fight that we need to have society wide, to stand up to antisemitism, so that we do not see these signs of hate on our streets anymore. We need to hear from the moderate majority who want to root this sort of hate out."

The MP was met with heckles from locals during her speech, with chants of "shame on you" by the crowds.

A Cobra meeting is an emergency committee that coordinates responses to national crises, such as terror attacks, major flooding, or pandemics.

It is understood that the Prime Minister will chair the meeting himself.

Officers were first called to Highfield Avenue at 11.16am to reports of a stabbing in Highfield Road, Golders Green.

A suspect attempted to stab police officers and was tasered before being arrested, in what Scotland Yard have now declared a terrorist incident.

Two men, one in his 70s and one in his 30s, were treated at the scene for stab wounds. Both men were taken to hospital and both are in a stable condition.

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A 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

He was taken into custody, where he remains. Officers from the Met Police confirmed they are working to establish his nationality and background.

Specialist officers from Counter-Terrorism Policing are leading the investigation and working with Scotland Yard to establish the full circumstances.

Sir Keir Starmer spoke in the Commons on the incident in Golders Green.

He said: "There is now a police investigation and I think we all need to do everything we can to support that investigation and be absolutely clear in our determination to deal with any of these offences, the like of which we have seen too much recently."

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "This is yet another appalling antisemitic attack The Jewish community are not being properly protected from this hate.

"We have seen Iran sponsoring antisemitic attacks and Islamist extremism run rampant. The Government must urgently step up tangible actions against antisemitism, Iran and Islamist extremism."