‘It’s ridiculous!’ Top Tory MP hits out at ‘policing thought’ amid Allison Pearson probe
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has called for police to focus on “genuine crime” rather than “policing thought” following the investigation of journalist Allison Pearson over a social media post.
Speaking to GB News, Philp said: “It is ridiculous that public figures, journalists, but actually members of the public as well are getting police attention for essentially expressing opinions. The police should concentrate on crime, genuine crime, not on policing thought.”
He emphasised that police attention should only be given to matters with “a very high bar” where behaviour is likely to lead to imminent criminality.
Pearson, a 64-year-old Telegraph journalist, was visited by police officers at her home on Remembrance Sunday regarding an investigation into a social media post from November 2023.
The case has involved three of Britain’s largest police forces, with the Metropolitan Police initially receiving the report as a potential breach of the Malicious Communications Act.
It was then passed to Sussex Police, who marked it as both a possible non-crime hate incident and potential malicious communication, before being transferred to Essex Police.
Essex Police opened a formal investigation under section 17 of the Public Order Act 1986, relating to material allegedly likely to cause racial hatred.
The force has requested Pearson attend a voluntary interview, which she has indicated she is “minded to attend” with legal representation.
A dispute has emerged over the classification of Pearson’s case, with Essex Police stating it is being treated as a criminal matter rather than a non-crime hate incident.
Essex Police defended their approach, saying: “At no stage during the short interaction between the woman and our officers was she informed that the report being investigated was being treated as a non-crime hate incident.”
The force released transcripts from body-worn video to support their position.
Pearson maintains she was told it was being treated as both a non-crime hate incident and an allegation of inciting racial hatred.
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Essex Police said they “police without fear or favour and when a crime is reported, we investigate.”
Philp expressed particular concern about the non-crime hate incident category, revealing he had tightened rules while serving as policing minister.
He told GB News: “I’m very concerned to hear that Yvette Cooper, the new Home Secretary, is planning or is thinking about scrapping the changes that we introduced a few months ago that effectively raised the threshold for those non-crime hate incidents.”
The Shadow Home Secretary stressed that while some opinions might be offensive, care must be taken in drawing criminal lines.
Downing Street has confirmed the Home Office is reviewing how police record non-crime hate incidents to protect free speech.