SIR Keir Starmer’s promise to toughen hate crime laws could lead to chaos for police — like it has in Scotland, Tory MPs warn.
Labour plans to treat every LGBT hate crime as an “aggravated offence”.
ReutersSir Keir Starmer’s promise to toughen hate crime laws could lead to chaos for police[/caption]
It means stricter sentences for those who target someone’s transgender identity.
But critics fear prosecutions for misgendering, with cops spending more time probing gender critical views than on solving violent crime.
Minister for Policing Chris Philp said: “Scotland’s snowflake hate law has already wasted vast amounts of police time.
“Existing laws already rightly criminalise inciting racist or religious hatred.
“It’s likely Labour would lead the rest of the UK down this dangerous path where simply expressing an opinion could end up being investigated by the police.
“This is a complete waste of police time and risks adverse information being retained about people for simply having a point of view.
“There is no place for the thought police in the UK. We all know Labour are itching to clamp down on views they disagree with.”
Tory MP Nick Fletcher called on Sir Keir to condemn scenes in Scotland: “We should also be concerned about the massive waste of police time and the strain on police resources – surely it is not sustainable and the result is that people affected by violent and property crime will suffer.”
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