There was no evidence of “two-tier policing” in the handling of riots that erupted after last year’s Southport murders, MPs have said.
A report by the Home Affairs Committee, published on Monday, examined the police response to disorder that broke out after the murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on 29 July.
Allegations of “two-tier policing” followed, suggesting that police were more heavy handed with people on the right of the political spectrum than the left.
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However, MPs on committee have concluded there was no evidence to support these “baseless” claims.
They also found officers’ handling of the violence was “entirely appropriate given the levels of violence and criminality that were on display”.
MPs said: “This was not protest.
“Those participating in disorder were not policed more strongly because of their supposed political views but because they were throwing missiles, assaulting police officers and committing arson.
“It was disgraceful to see unsubstantiated commentary about ‘two-tier policing’ undermining the efforts of police officers who served bravely in the face of violence.”
Misinformation about Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana spread online after the stabbings – including false claims that he was a 17-year-old asylum seeker who had come to the country by boat.
A total of 246 protests, counter-protests and incidents of disorder took place in the aftermath, including 88 deemed “significant”, the report said.
As of 22 January this year, there had been 1,804 arrests and 1,072 charges linked to the riots.
Dame Karen Bradley, chairwoman of the committee, said: “There is a difference in how police must deal with violence and how they deal with peaceful protests.
“This needs to recognised by commentators who all too readily spread claims of ‘two-tier policing’. Organised disorder is rightly met with a robust response; any implied equivalence with planned non-violent protests is simply wrong.”
The report also considered the impact of the riots on individual officers, noting “it is clear that the disorder has had a detrimental effect” when many were already “struggling with heavy workloads, fatigue and stress”.
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Additionally, MPs agreed with findings from a watchdog that police forces should have better anticipated the risk of disorder in general, and that it should not have been taken for granted that planned protests following the Southport disorder would remain peaceful.
Dame Karen added: “It is a grim reality that bad actors sought to exploit the unspeakable tragedy that unfolded in Southport.
“The criminal justice system will need to ensure its approach to communication is fit for the social media age.”
Chief Constable BJ Harrington, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for operations, said he is “pleased that the report robustly disagrees with the notion of ‘two-tier policing’, and that the policing response was entirely appropriate given the levels of violence and criminality that were on display”.
He added that MPs were right to “praise the efforts” of police, who were “often in the face of very real risk and injury”.
