A former UK health secretary has urged the government to take immediate action against social media companies that host incitement to violence, proposing they should be made to pay towards the cost of rebuilding after riots in Belfast.

Wes Streeting, who is widely seen as a potential challenger to Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership, said Downing Street's current approach of leaving enforcement to the media regulator Ofcom was not sufficient. The Online Safety Act requires platforms to remove illegal content, including posts that incite violence, but the first formal compliance report from X to Ofcom is not due for at least two months.

Streeting argued that if platforms knowingly promote dangerous content, company bosses should face criminal action and the firms should cover clean-up and repair costs alongside those physically involved in the disorder. He described the current response as too timid in the face of what he called online and offline forces seeking to inspire hatred.

Downing Street said it condemned any attempt to stoke division or incite violence and stressed that those breaking the law should face consequences online as well as offline. A spokesperson added that platforms have clear legal responsibilities to remove illegal material and that Ofcom has full backing to use its enforcement powers.

Ministers are also planning to amend the Online Safety Act to require faster removal of inflammatory content during riots or other crises, but the change needs to be laid before parliament for 40 days and will not take effect until mid-July at the earliest.