Starmer leads UK political leaders in condemning attempt on Trump's life

Senior British politicians including Keir Starmer and Nigel Farage have condemned the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, while others expressed fears about the rise in political violence and hate speech.

- Jessica Elgot & Emily Dugan

No 10 said the prime minister was "shocked by the scenes" in Pennsylvania. In a phone call to the ex-president, Starmer expressed his condolences for the victims and their families and wished Trump and the other injured a quick recovery.

The Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, whose sister Jo Cox was murdered by a far-right extremist during the EU referendum campaign, said she had hoped to be talking about the England football final, but had found herself again being forced to speak about political violence.

"And we are back again having that conversation about what democracy looks like, what our politics looks like," she told the BBC.

"We have got to have that conversation about what a civilised democracy looks like. I have been having it since Jo was killed.

"I sadly feel that we are not making a huge amount of progress in this country and in other countries and we have got to keep having that conversation," said Leadbeater.

Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, who has attended a number of Trump's previous rallies, said he would have been present in Butler had he not been elected as MP for Clacton. He said he planned now to travel to the Republican convention to show his support.

Asked how he felt, he told BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: "I was very upset and I'm still upset. I'm obviously pleased that my friend Donald has got away with it, only just, but he's got away with it.