Suella Braverman tells Commons police are not paid to 'wave flags or dance with drag queens'

Police are not paid to “wave flags” or “dance with drag queens”, Suella Braverman has told the Commons.

The home secretary said chief constables and elected police and crime commissioners should focus on “cutting crime and rebuilding confidence, not playing politics”.

Braverman’s remarks, which appeared to include references to officers policing LGBT+ pride events, came after she ordered a review into “political activism in police” earlier this month.

She was responding in the Commons to a question from Conservative MP Nick Fletcher (Don Valley).

Fletcher said: “The police would deter and solve even more crimes such as burglaries, use of quad bikes and general anti-social behaviour … in my constituency if they started putting more bobbies on the beat and stopped promoting unscientific ideologies.”

Braverman responded: “My honourable friend is quite right. We pay the police to fight crime. Whether that’s a focus on anti-social behaviour, the nuisance bikers or burglaries, as he’s mentioned.

“They are there to keep people safe. We do not pay them to wave flags at parades, to dance with drag queens or to campaign.

“That’s why I finally ended all association with Stonewall at the Home Office and why I expect all PCCs (police and crime commissioners) and chief constables to focus on cutting crime and rebuilding confidence, not playing politics.”