Starmer says police should focus on 'what matters most' - as free speech row over investigation into columnist tweet grows
18 November 2024, 09:05
The Prime Minister says police should focus on "what matters most" rather than investigations into tweets, amid an ongoing free speech row.
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The comments come following an investigation into Daily Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson for an alleged criminal offence of inciting racial hatred.
The columnist was told on Remembrance Sunday she was being investigated by Essex Police over a year-old post online, which had been deleted.
She says she was not informed which post had been reported, but suggested it could have related to the 7th October attacks in Israel or pro-Palestine marches.
News of the visit has sparked a backlash, including from two former Conservative prime ministers and X owner Elon Musk.
Downing Street sources confirmed Sir Keir Starmer thinks police should focus resources on offences such as theft and criminal damage - rather than non-crime.
'Held to account'
Speaking on the way to the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Starmer said to reporters: “Firstly, obviously, this is a matter for the police themselves, police force by police force.
"So they can make their decisions and will obviously be held to account for those decisions.
“There is a review going on of this particular aspect but I think that as a general principle the police should concentrate on what matters most to their communities.”
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp also criticised the move, saying rules around "non-crime hate incidents" need to be "significantly recalibrated".
"I think it was a mistake, yes, for the police to look at things like - there was a different Telegraph journalist who was spoken to by the police about commenting on trans issues. We've seen nine-year-olds in schools being spoken to and yes, that was wrong. It should not have happened. That was a mistake, the police shouldn't have done it," she told BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg.
He added: "I think it needs to be significantly recalibrated. So I think the police should concentrate on investigating crimes.
"The only time I think it's justified to look at behaviour that falls below the criminal threshold is where there is a real and immediate danger of criminality subsequently occurring. Now that is a very high threshold. If someone's behaving in a way that suggests they might be about to commit a crime, I think that is something the police should pay attention to.
"But things like a Telegraph journalist, a different journalist, not Allison Pearson, a different one, commenting on trans issues, for example, or nine-year-olds in playgrounds, both of whom have been caught by this non-crime, hate incident net. That is wrong, and the rules, I think, should be changed."
Police Commissioner defends his force's investigation into Telegraph journalist
Roger Hirst from Essex Police rejected claims his force was acting like the “thought police” as he spoke with LBC’s Lewis Goodall.
Essex Police have dispute Pearson's claims and said the officers, who had made attempts to contact Ms Pearson before the visit, were clear the alleged offence was inciting racial hatred.
In relation to the ongoing investigation, the force said: "At this stage, we're awaiting confirmation of her available dates."
A spokesman added: "Essex Police cuts crime. There were over 9,000 fewer reported offences in the last year and 20,000 fewer than five years ago.
"Our officers and staff, some of which are military veterans, work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to keep the public safe and investigate crime.
"We police without fear or favour and, when a crime is reported, we investigate.
"That's what we do and that's what the people of Essex expect."
Essex Police said they have registered complaints with the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), the independent regulator of newspapers and websites. I
It added: "There has been a large amount of false reporting about an ongoing investigation and the force has registered complaints with Ipso."
Previously, asked whether people should be told why police are investigating if they get a knock on the door, Downing Street said it is "a decision for the police operationally".
The Home Office has been looking into how forces review non-crime hate incidents in balance with the right to free speech.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "Ultimately it's important that the police can capture data relating to non-crime hate incidents to capture data relating the police where it is a proportionate and necessary to do so to help prevent serious crimes which may later occur."
This must be balanced with "the fundamental right to free speech and also ensuring that the police can spend their time dealing with the issues that matter most to our communities."
