When will the violent disorder across England and Northern Ireland dissipate? That’s the question being asked in Westminster as ministers brace for further incidents. Keir Starmer last night chaired his second Cobra emergency meeting ahead of a wave of possible events over the next 48 hours, with 30 potential riots anticipated today. Among possible targets identified by the police are refugee shelters and lawyers’ homes. Last night, Starmer said people will be safe thanks to the police preparations.

So far 400 people have been arrested, with the first rioter jailed on Tuesday afternoon. James Nelson, 18, received a two-month sentence after pleading guilty to causing criminal damage in Bolton on Saturday, after he was spotted smashing cars while wearing a balaclava. The hope among ministers is that, as individuals are named and sentences handed out, it will start to act as a deterrent against those considering taking part in further disorder in the coming days. More than 2,000 extra riot police are on standby.

As the riots drag on, Starmer is facing further criticism of his handling of the situation, including from a former Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson who suggested too much from Starmer has been rhetoric over action. The Prime Minister’s new nemesis Elon Musk has been back at it today – branding Starmer ‘Two Tier Keir’ over allegations of two-tier policing, with left-wing protests being shown more tolerance than those on the right.

In a sign that this criticism is starting to cut through, the Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood took to the social media platform earlier to declare: ‘It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’re protesting – if you turn up in a mask, with a weapon, intent on causing disorder, you will face the full force of the law.’ It’s fair to say there is a nervousness in Whitehall over how the next few days will turn out.