A visibly angry Met Police boss Sir Mark Rowley grabbed a reporter’s microphone and chucked it on the ground this morning when he was grilled about “two-tier policing”. The Mail has more.
As he exited the Cabinet Office, the visibly angry Scotland Yard chief was filmed being asked by a Sky News journalist: “Are we going to end two-tier policing sir?”
In the astonishing footage, Sir Mark was shown taking part of the microphone before throwing it to the floor as he headed towards a waiting car.
The bizarre incident came amid intense pressure on police chiefs to get a grip on the violent disorder causing chaos on U.K. streets, in the wake of last week’s Southport stabbing attack.
Sir Keir Starmer is also scrambling to put a lid on tensions and end the rioting in the first big test of his premiership since entering Downing Street a month ago.
After chairing an emergency Cobra meeting this morning, the Prime Minister pledged a “standing army” of specialist police officers to tackle what he has condemned as “far-Right thuggery”.
He and other senior ministers met with police chiefs and prison bosses in response to the continuing violence being waged by far-Right thugs.
They updated on efforts to deploy officers to trouble hotspots, boost court capacity and tackle online criminality and misinformation as social media is used to whip up rioters.
“Two-tier policing” is a phrase used to described an impression that some protests and demonstrations are dealt with more harshly than others.
Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage earlier claimed the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 had left feelings of “two-tier policing”, although his remarks were dismissed by Tory former Home Secretary Dame Priti Patel.
A narrative of ‘politicised’ or ‘two-tier policing’ has also been pushed by far-Right figures, including England Defence League founder Tommy Robinson.
The PM’s official spokesman said Sir Keir “wouldn’t recognise that characterisation of policing”.
“The job of the police is to keep everyone safe, to tackle violence and disorder no matter the origination,” the spokesman added.
“There is no justification at all for the scenes we have seen. There is no justification for any sorts of criminal activity.
“The police will always will always carry out their job without fear or favour.”
Worth reading in full.
Erm, isn’t grabbing a microphone and throwing it on the floor criminal damage?
You just had to answer the question, Mark. No need to have a temper tantrum.
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.