The Paymaster General Nick Thomas-Symonds has rejected the idea of two tier policing and two tier sentencing, saying ‘the law applies equally to everyone’.
Thomas-Symonds said people with 'legitimate concerns about immigration' should not be conflated with those involved in rioting.
Speaking on GB News Nick Thomas-Symonds said:
“There should be a very strong message today going out to people that anybody thinking of engaging in this violent disorder, this thuggery, shouldn't do it, because we've seen three prison sentences handed down today.
“Men who, eight days ago, were engaged in violent disorder, in one case, an attack on an emergency service worker, who've been sentenced to 20 months, two and a half years and three years.
“And the message today, anyone thinking of doing this, you will feel the full force of the law, and as we've seen, you will feel it swiftly as well.
“The people to blame, and there should be no moral ambiguity about this, are the people who are engaging in this disorder themselves.
“The Prime Minister has said, if you turn up to something carrying weapons, you are not going there for legitimate protests. You're going there for the purpose of perpetrating violence.
“I was particularly chilled by police officers who were first responders at those appalling, appalling killings we saw in Southport Monday, the start of last week, who were themselves, having been the first responders, then subject to attack.
“Let's just separate these things out. Because prior to the general election and six week campaign, I was up and down the country. Indeed, for months before that I was campaigning and I was speaking to people up and down the country who had concerns about a variety of issues, including immigration.
“The people I was speaking to on the doorstep with legitimate concerns about the level of immigration. They weren't people who were going to go out and commit violence. They were people having a perfectly legitimate discussion. I think we should see these things as separate.
“I was the shadow Home Secretary for a while and I used to go out in those days quite frequently with frontline police officers, and I saw the dangers they put themselves in.
“They put themselves in harm's way to keep the public safe. With public order, our police officers have to make some very difficult judgments in the most difficult of circumstances. I don't accept they do that in a two tier way. I think they do a very difficult job to keep the public safe.
“I think we have seen communication on social media in a way we've not seen in previous disorder. And clearly, in the medium term, the government is going to be looking at our Online Safety Act, how we properly regulate social media.
“But as of today, let's be absolutely clear. I've said people who commit violent disorder, we've seen the prison sentences they face quickly. It is also the case if you're an armchair thug, if you like, not just a thug on the streets; if you're sending threats of violence or organising violence online, then you will feel the full force of the law as well. That should be absolutely clear.
“In terms of social media platforms the Secretary of State, Peter Kyle, has had in representatives from X, from meta, and indeed from Google and others to set out their responsibility for keeping the users of their platforms safe.
“But how we regulate these platforms nationally, internationally, of course, the government will look at that and keep it under review. But we should be clear people who put material on those platforms that breaks the law, the responsibility is theirs.
“The law applies equally to everybody. I don't accept the idea of two tier policing. I don't accept the idea of two tier sentencing. You break the law, you face the consequences. That's the rule of law we have in this country.
“What the government is saying today is anyone thinking of going out and committing violent offences, you will feel the full force of that law.”
