Evidence of ‘two tier’ policing in UK, says senior Tory – despite report by MPs finding opposite
Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, is now being asked whether he still believes “two-tier” policing is operating in the UK.
The term – used to describe the impression that some protests and demonstrations are dealt with more harshly than others – came to prominence following the summer riots that took place in the aftermath of the Southport stabbings.
A report published today by the Home Affairs Committee found that despite widespread accusations, there was no evidence of “two-tier policing” in the handling of the riots.
But speaking to Ali Fortescue, Jenrick says he “respectfully disagrees” with some of the report’s conclusions.
“I mean, you only have to look at some of the statistics,” he says.
“One of the most striking ones I’ve seen is the fact that more people were prosecuted for the riots in Rotherham last summer than for the decades-long grooming gang scandal that involved hundreds, maybe thousands of children in that town.”
‘Millions of people in this country are worried’
Jenrick goes on to cite changes to guidance that the Sentencing Council planned to implement, which would have recommended that judges consider a criminal’s ethnicity before deciding their punishment.
However, the council later suspended the guidance from coming into force following a political backlash.
“The government agreed with us that there was a two-tier situation arising and we’ve recently uncovered the fact that, when you look at bail, there are guidelines which say that you should be prioritised for bail if you are an ethnic minority versus others, such as a white person,” he says.
“The evidence is there to back up the claim, but beyond that, it’s very evident to me that millions of people in this country are worried that there is a creeping two-tier system, whether it’s in the criminal justice system more broadly or in policing.”
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