Former Tory MP Sir Jake Berry has hit out at Tom Tugendhat after he branded Nigel Farage "dangerous" for his comments during the UK riots.
Tom Tugendhat said Nigel Farage has been “deeply irresponsible and dangerous” in trying to amplify “false information” whilst also criticising him for "condemning the breakdown of law and order" but "not the riots themselves."
Speaking to GB News Berry said: "He's being criticised for saying that we have two-tier policing in this country.
"Well, we don't have two-tier policing in this country. We have 20-tier policing in this country. Whichever community you are in, the police seem to deal with you in a different way and you can look at the recent things that have happened.
Sir Jake Berry defended Nigel Farage
GB News
"Take the riots in Leeds where the police ran away. Only 27 people have been arrested and only four of them are being held on remand. You compare that to the riots in Southport. Both disgusting.
"It should not have happened. But people are being held in prison and in many cases sent to prison. Not for taking part in the riots, but for being there".
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"You have people who came out of their house to have a look at what was going on which is, in my view, quite normal behaviour, and they're having the book thrown at them.
"That is evidence of two-tier policing in this country. But to say it's two-tier is wrong because there are about 20 tiers, and everything is dealt with separately and in different ways, depending on how the police are feeling.
GB News host Michelle Dewberry agreed: "It is very scary. I think, people are trying to rule with fear at the moment.
"Make people afraid of what they say, and make people afraid of what they do in order to create people conforming with what it is that they want."
Tom Tugendhat is a Tory leadership hopeful
PAAt the press conference, Tugendhat did not reserve all his criticism for Farage, who he said would not be admitted to the Conservative party if he were elected leader.
He also criticised billionaire Elon Musk for his comments on politics and the riots in the UK and branded the Tesla owner as "delusional."
When asked by the media for his thoughts on social media becoming a space for "conspiracy theories", Tugendhat said: "The question as to how we operate on social media is a difficult one.
"It's one of the reasons that many of us have to make different decisions. I refuse to be on TikTok because the algorithm is set by a foreign dictatorship."
Nigel Farage was criticised in the speech
GettyHe also said he would "stand up to the billionaires personally" if he was elected leader of the Tories.
Tugendhat explained: "I've already set out my support for the Online Safety Act. I think foreign companies with foreign ownership and foreign leadership are responsible to themselves.
"It's quite right that we could criticise, but it's up to the shareholders. And in this case there's one shareholder and it's him. So it really is a decision for them.
"I think advertisers are making pretty clear their views and others may well follow."
