A heated debate has erupted after Priti Patel’s controversial remarks on two-tier policing, drawing sharp criticism from former top law enforcement officials. Here’s the full story.
Bull in a China Shop
Priti Patel, the disgraced former Home Secretary and current Tory leadership candidate, has once again sparked controversy after she waded into the ongoing debate around “two-tier” policing with all the grace of a bull in a china shop.
Two-Tier Policing Conspiracy
The idea of “two-tier” policing, a conspiracy theory which accuses British police of giving preference to ethnic minorities or left-wing protesters over far-right ones, has been amplified by far-right agitators and even some national newspapers following the rioting which followed the tragic murder of three young girls in Southport.
Patel’s Conspiracy Remarks
Patel appeared to amplify this conspiracy theory in an interview with the Times, in which she stated, “There does seem to be a perception of two-tier policing. That’s why we have to be asking important questions to the government and on the operational side,” she told The Times.
Undermining Public Trust
She added, “But there is something else, which is, and I think this is a worry, that of course notions of that and perceptions of that basically lead to a degree of undermining public trust and confidence in policing. That bothers me a lot, it really does.”
Misinformation Amplifiers
Patel is not the only public figure to amplify misinformation and conspiracy theories following the riots which gripped the UK for over a week. She joins far-right influencers, grifters and agitators like Andrew Tate and Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, who have amplified disinformation online.
Divisive Comments Condemned
Patel received immediate pushback from Neil Basu, the former head of UK counter-terrorism, who, despite working closely with Patel before she was sacked from the Home Office, labelled her comments as “divisive.”
Basu’s Strong Rebuttal
On the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Basu stated, “Here goes Priti Patel, proving the point that it is impossible for politicians to have a positive cross-party narrative on an issue. That is a very divisive comment and I’ll echo what my friend commissioner Mark Rowley said earlier on in the week, two-tier policing is absolute nonsense.”
Laughable Two-Tier Notion
He added, “We work without fear or favour to the law and Priti knows that, I worked with her every day for two and a half years on counter-terrorism. And if you look like me, if you happen to be Black or Asian in this country, the idea that there’s some form of two-tier policing where, if you’re white, working class, you get a raw deal from the police, it’s, quite frankly, a little bit laughable after 200 years of being overpoliced and underprotected.”
Endangering Police Lives
Additionally, Basu warned that such rhetoric could endanger the lives of police officers, adding unnecessary pressure to their already difficult jobs during an unprecedentedly volatile situation.
Farage and Musk Weigh In
The debate over two-tier policing has been similarly fuelled by comments from politicians like Reform UK leader and occasional MP for Clacton Nigel Farage and Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, formerly Twitter, the platform on which many of the conspiracy theories fuelling the recent riots spread.
Farage’s “Soft Policing” Claim
Farage claimed that the notion of two-tier policing had gained traction since what he referred to as the “soft policing” of the Black Lives Matter protests.
Musk’s Radicalisation
Similarly, Elon Musk, who appears to have been further radicalised by the far-right on X every time he posts, referred to Prime Minister Keir Starmer as “two-tier Keir” in one of his increasingly unhinged posts on his social media site.
Unfounded Allegations Dismissed
Despite Musk, Farage, and now Patel’s best efforts to drag Starmer into a discussion on two-tier policing to give the topic some political validity, key government and police officials have maintained that such claims are entirely unfounded.
Starmer and Rowley Respond
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has dismissed the idea as a “non-issue,” while Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has referred to the allegations as “absolute nonsense.”
Policing Without Bias
Both officials have emphasised that the UK police operate without bias and are committed to upholding the law impartially, regardless of the political or social affiliations of those involved.
Anti-Fascist Counter-Protests
In response to the far-right riots, anti-fascist counter-protests are growing in strength, with cities and towns up and down the country recently witnessing mass movements of people who marched to stand up against racism.
Far-Right Talking Points
The rise of discourse over far-right talking points like two-tier policing, which was previously a mainstay of far-right message boards and encrypted messaging apps, shows how quickly ideas that were previously well outside the mainstream of politics can be taken up by opportunistic politicians when they think it might benefit them.
The Unknowable Future
With the UK still reeling from the recent riots, it remains to be seen whether other Conservatives will join Patel in moving the range of acceptable discourse further towards the conspiratorial far-right rhetoric which has so dominated online spaces since the riots began or whether cooler heads will prevail.
Leadership Campaign Uncertain
Similarly, what effect Patel’s recent comments will have on her Conservative leadership campaign is unknowable.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / John Gomez.
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