‘Nonsense!’ Richard Tice hits back at claims Reform stoking riots – ‘No two-tier policing… No violence is justified’

Richard Tice has hit back at claims Reform UK is stoking the riots, describing the accusations as “absolute nonsense.”

Scenes of bedlam have exploded on the streets of Britain after a knife attack in Southport led to three young girls losing their lives.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has branded the riots “far-right” and commentators have accused Reform UK of “whipping up” the protests in Southport, where the first violent demonstration broke out.

The situation escalated on Monday evening when hundreds of masked counter-protesters descended upon Birmingham, after receiving false information that a riot was taking place.

They also interrupted a live Sky News broadcast with the message “Free Palestine and F**k the media.”

Quizzed on GB News as to whether those rioting are protesting in “the name of Reform”, Tice said: “It is absolute nonsense. We have condemned all the violence from all sides, any side.

“It is completely unforgivable and inexcusable.

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“What is strange is that no Labour politicians are condemning the horrific scenes that we saw in Birmingham last night.

“Jess Phillips reprimanded me for seeming to suggest that it was out of order for masked men to be marauding around attacking people.

“She thought that was justifiable. No violence is justifiable. We’re the only party, it seems, that’s actually put that out there.”

He added: “We’ve got to have equal policing, equal politics as opposed to what we’ve currently got. We’ve got two-tier politics and two-tier policing and it’s completely unacceptable.”

The MP added: “People from the left, they seem to be excusing what went on yesterday.

“For example, you had a masked man come up behind a presenter from another channel swearing, abusing, pointing like a sort of a gun with their fingers. That seems to be excusable.

“But anybody who is from perceived from the right, then they’re far-right thugs. It’s all inexcusable. And that’s the two tier politics I’m talking about.

“It is the same with two-tier policing, we have seen that the police have been instructed to respond differently to certain groups of people who are breaking the law. We’ve seen it with the pro-Gaza demonstrations and various other demonstrations over recent months. And that’s one of the things that I think is really winding people up and upsetting them.”

After news broke about the Birmingham protests, Tice posted on social media: “Starmer & Labour no doubt think these pro Gaza masked folk are far right too? ….All violence, rioting and assault is totally unacceptable. Two-tier policing must stop”

Labour’s Jess Phillips, who is the MP for the area, hit back: “These people came to this location because it has been spread that racists were coming to attack them. This misinformation was spread entirely to create this content. Don’t spread it MR Tice!”

The MP has received a slew of criticism for her comment and Prime Minister Liz Truss responded: “Astonishing a Home Office Minister is excusing masked thugs. She must retract this statement and the Prime Minister must urgently commit to protect the safety and freedom of everyone in our country.”