Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, has criticized Tory leadership candidates and Reform UK for undermining faith in the police by spreading claims of “two-tier policing”. She accused them of being “rightwing wreckers” who are harming respect for the law. Cooper highlighted the dangerous consequences of such claims, particularly during the summer riots, and emphasized the need for unity behind law enforcement.
In response to the allegations, Cooper announced new measures to tackle street crime and antisocial behavior. These include introducing new powers to ban prolific antisocial offenders and launching a Knife Enabled Robbery Taskforce to address the rise in knife-enabled crime.
The Tory candidates and Reform UK MPs have endorsed the idea of “two-tier policing” to varying degrees, perpetuating concerns about bias in law enforcement. Cooper pointed out the detrimental impact of this rhetoric, especially when it comes from those who claim to support law and order.
Furthermore, Keir Starmer’s upcoming speech at the Labour conference will address a crackdown on benefit fraud as part of broader efforts to rebuild public services and ensure taxpayers’ money is spent efficiently. This initiative has raised concerns among the left, with some drawing comparisons to previous conservative policies. Starmer, however, has framed the measures as necessary to tackle waste and tax avoiders while prioritizing getting people back to work and addressing long-term sickness.
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