Lee Anderson has told the Metropolitan Police that they need to get tougher on Pro-Palestinian demonstrators many of whom are openly supporting terrorism and antisemitism.
The outspoken Tory deputy chairman has accused London Mayor Sadiq Khan of forcing the Metropolitan Police to take a soft touch approach, despite the fact many so-called protesters are openly glorifying terrorism.
The former miner and Labour trade unionist who only switched to the Tories in 2018, compared the treatment of the protesters taking over London’s streets to the robust approach taken by the Met in 1984.
This is when they were sent to the Midlands and north to tackle picketing striking miners led by Arthur Scargill.
Mr Anderson was one of a number of MPs asked whether it had been a mistake to get rid of the water cannons bought by Boris Johnson when he was London Mayor to control rioters.
He told Express.co.uk: “We wouldn’t need water cannons if the police chiefs did their job.”
He went on: “I saw first hand the picket lines in 1984 where the police took a much more robust approach against men who would argue they were protesting to keep their jobs.
“The great British public expect a more robust approach but what hope do we have with the useless Mayor Khan running the show?”
Mr Anderson was 17 at the time of the miners’ strike in Nottinghamshire. He witnessed first-hand the battles between strikers and the police after the Met had been sent from London by Margaret Thatcher to take back control of areas affected by the industrial dispute.
The most infamous occasion was the Battle of Orgreave on June 18, 1984 when miners and police clashed in a violent confrontation.
While the Ashfield MP has more sympathy with “men who were fighting to save their jobs” he has little sympathy for pro-Palestinian protesters who appear to be trying to take control of the streets of London.
Already, there has been outrage at the lack of police action when pro-Palestinian supporters were seen dancing on the streets celebrating the horrendous attacks on Israel on October 7. This is when more than 1,400 innocent civilians were brutally murdered including children who were incinerated.
One of these celebrations took place in front of a Jewish restaurant in Acton where Countdown star Rachel Riley was with friends and the police only intervened after Home Office minister Robert Jenrick saw her Tweet on the issue.
There has also been anger over the way the Met allowed protesters to take control of the Cenotaph in Whitehall during the first of the weekend protests with a platform draped with anti-Israel posters.
Nothing appears to have happened to antisemitic left-wingers and others pulling down pictures of Israeli children kidnapped by Hamas.
But the police have intervened to stop the Campaign Against Antisemitism from driving a van through London displaying the same kidnap image.
Meanwhile, on protests, antisemitic and anti-Israel slogans have been chanted, Jihadi flags flown, and symbols glorifying Hamas terrorism such as the black paraglider silouette have been on display with no action apparently taken.
Laurence Fox was recently photographed cleaning up British monuments after they had been trashed by the anti-Israel protesters.
