RIOTS SHOW BRITAIN HAS LOST RESPECT FOR THE POLICE, SAYS YVETTE COOPER

Britain's riots showed there has been a loss of respect for the police and 'people feel as though crime has no consequences', the Home Secretary has said.

Following a fortnight of violent disorder, Yvette Cooper admitted there was a need to rebuild 'respect for the police, respect for the law, and respect for each other'.

Some 927 people have been arrested and 466 charged, so far, in connection with the chaos on Britain's streets in the wake of the Southport stabbing attack.

The worst offenders have been warned they could face up to 10 years in jail as courts look to deliver swift justice for the mayhem.

In an article for the Telegraph, Ms Cooper launched a staunch defence of police officers who came under attack from yobs across towns and cities.

She also hit out at politicians who 'sought to undermine the legitimacy and authority of the police' amid claims of 'two-tier policing' from some senior figures.

'As home secretary, I am not prepared to tolerate the brazen abuse and contempt which a minority have felt able to show towards our men and women in uniform, or the disrespect for law and order that has been allowed to grow in recent years,' Ms Cooper wrote.

'As well as punishing those responsible for the last fortnight’s violent disorder, we must take action to restore respect for the police, and respect for the law.'

She added: 'From anti-social behaviour through to serious violence, too often people feel as though crime has no consequences, as charge rates have been allowed to fall and court delays grown. That has to change.

'We will work with the police, rather than just blaming them from afar, to tackle problems and raise standards.

'And we won’t engage in the kind of shameful behaviour we have seen from some senior politicians and pundits who sought to undermine the legitimacy and authority of the police, just at the time they needed our full backing to restore order to the streets.

'When the police put on those uniforms, when they go out in the service of our communities, and when they uphold the high standards we expect of them, they deserve respect from every single one of us.

'There is lots of rebuilding to be done in our communities after the damage of the last fortnight. Respect for the police, respect for the law, and respect for each other is where we must start.'

Sir Keir Starmer has cancelled plans to take a summer holiday as the Government continues to deal with the fallout from the rioting.

The Prime Minister had instructed police to stay on high alert at the weekend, but no widespread unrest materialised.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is among those who have claimed there is a 'perception' of 'two-tier policing' in the UK, as he referred to allegations the police treat some groups more harshly than others.

Those claims have been amplified most prominently on social media by Elon Musk, the owner of X, who has branded the PM 'two-tier Kier'.

2024-08-12T08:37:40Z dg43tfdfdgfd