The debate over two-tier policing in Britain has intensified ahead of Prime Minister's Questions, with the National Police Chiefs' Council guidance on racial considerations in policing coming under fierce scrutiny following the death of Henry Novak in Southampton.
The NPCC wording states that the treatment of anyone by police should be racialised and that officers should not be colourblind. Critics have described this guidance as not merely clumsy but plainly wrong and potentially very damaging, arguing it drives officers into making terrible decisions.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called the NPCC wording clumsy, while policing minister Sarah Jones described it as more of a values document than policing policy. However, when asked when the document would be changed, the government was unable to provide a clear answer.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer agree that there should be equality under the law and both condemned Reform leader Nigel Farage for what they see as condoning the Southampton riots. However, the matter of two-tier policing is an area where the two leaders disagree sharply.
Political commentators note that the Prime Minister's refusal to acknowledge two-tier policing represents an open goal for the opposition. Most members of the public who watched the Henry Novak body cam footage believe it demonstrates a clear example of differential treatment.
With further protests expected today and potentially tomorrow, there is speculation about whether a Cobra meeting will be called, similar to the emergency response during the summer of riots in 2025. The government's response so far has been criticised as insufficient by opposition figures.
The NPCC has indicated it will look at the wording again but the broader question of how racial considerations should inform policing decisions remains deeply contested. The controversy has exposed fundamental tensions between equality under the law and efforts to address historical disparities in policing outcomes.