Elon Musk has been slammed by Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson for “irresponsible” and “hugely wrong” comments about policing of public unrest in the UK.
The owner of the social media platform X has attracted criticism for claiming that there is two-tier policing in the UK and branding the Prime Minister “two-tier Keir”.
Dame Diana told GB News: “First of all, there is no two-tier policing. Policing in this country is done without fear or favour. I want to be very clear about that.
“I think it's hugely wrong at this stage to be making those comments. It's irresponsible to say that.
“We need to get behind the police and the Government has been very clear. The police have our full support in dealing with this criminality and violence on our streets.
“The Prime Minister last Thursday convened senior police officers to meet him in Downing Street to talk about what resources they might need, whether they had additional powers that they might require. He was very much then, as is the Home Secretary now, saying that we support the police.
“They have a very difficult job to do. That kind of comment is completely wrong and it makes me incredibly angry at this stage when our police are facing this level of disorder that someone would make those comments.”
She added: “This country has a proud tradition of peaceful protest. And I know people have very differing and strong views about all sorts of issues, but that has to be addressed in a peaceful way.
“We've just gone through a General Election where people have the opportunity to choose a political party that they want to be in government. The Labour Party is now in government with our manifesto.
“I'm absolutely respectful of people having concerns about issues like immigration, but the thuggery, the violence, the disorder, which we saw on the streets, the stoking up of the extremists on our streets, is not what this country is about.
“This is not how we deal with issues of policy and the Government and the police will deal with this criminality. We are united in that, but of course we recognise the need for debate discussion, that's absolutely part of our tradition.”
Asked if swift prosecutions for violent disorder had a deterrent effect, she said: “I think it's a combination, isn't it? What we saw last night were the vast majority of the law-abiding people of this country expressing a view that we live in a tolerant Britain.
“We are law-abiding people. We do not like to see this disorder, this violence, this criminality on our streets.
“I think the public revulsion at what happened, the police being on our streets providing that security and safety, and then this swift justice, I think it's a combination of things that makes me cautiously optimistic about how this is now being dealt with.”
