Tory MPs demand ‘anti-woke’ Manchester chief constable replace Met chief Mark Rowley amid row over ‘light touch’ policing of pro-Palestinian protests in London

Tory MPs have demanded that an ‘anti-woke’ chief constable credited with turning around a failing force be parachuted into the Met to toughen up its response to pro-Palestinian protests. 

Backbenchers want Stephen Watson, who leads Greater Manchester Police, brought down to London amid concerns that officers are using a light touch approach to dealing with anti-Semitism.

Criticism has also been levelled at current Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley over his refusal to ban a massive march in London on Armistice Day, which led to a violent counter demo by Far Right hooligans.

James Daly, the Conservative MP for Bury North, told the Telegraph: ‘I have come to the conclusion that a Stephen Watson-run Metropolitan Police would be far more proactive in enforcing the criminal law and would not tolerate some of the anti-social behaviours we have seen on the capital’s streets which at present appear to be going unchecked.

Backbenchers want Stephen Watson, who leads Greater Manchester Police, brought down to London amid concerns that officers are using a light touch approach to dealing with anti-Semitism.

Criticism has also been levelled at current Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley over his refusal to ban a massive march in London on Armistice Day, which led to a violent counter demo by Far Right hooligans.

The protests continued this weekend. Picftuired is a protestor waving a flag near Trafalgar Square yesterday

‘Stephen Watson is the type of police officer I came across when I first started practising in the courts. Whatever the type of offence, if the evidence is there you will be arrested and prosecuted. In contrast to the previous regime in charge of policing in Greater Manchester this is a revolutionary approach.

‘I believe this robust approach to criminal justice should be adopted by the Metropolitan Police, specifically in relation to the recent protests we have seen in London.’

Adam Holloway, who like Mr Daly sits on the Commons Home Affairs Committee added: ‘I absolutely agree with freedom of speech but this is a different order. You can’t have people saying these things. We are seeing far too much woke, weak policing. What the public want and what they pay for is robust policing.’

Mr Watson led Greater Manchester out of special measures in 2022 after 18 months at the helm.

Regarded as an ‘old school’ chief who pitched himself as ‘anti-woke’ when he joined GMP, he blamed a ‘failure of senior leadership’ for its problems and promised a ‘dialled up muscularity’ in his approach to crime. 

In the first 18 months since he took over, 999 call answer times fell from an average of one minute 22 seconds to seven seconds, response times were reduced and arrests increased by 60 per cent.

He also put an emphasis on the force’s public image, ordering officers to iron uniforms, cover tattoos, polish boots, tie up long hair and come into work clean-shaven.

Mr Watson has previously spoken out against officers displaying rainbow badges on their uniforms as ‘virtue-signalling’ and said he would not take the knee like other police bosses.

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