Mike Penning MP has reacted angrily to police inaction at the weekend demonstration in London against our country.

Commenting on the demonstration by a group of British Muslims against the award of a knighthood to Sir Salman Rushdie, Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead, said:

“I was heartbroken to see such a vitriolic mob calling for people to hurt if not kill the Queen and Prime Minister and burning the flags of our country. This was an insult to our country and yet the police did nothing. I was gobsmacked to learn that the police afterwards described the demonstration as ‘peaceful’.

“It may be the case that burning the flag is not a specific offence, but there was clearly incitement to endanger life.

“The police are pandering to particular groups.

“I’ve tackled police officers on this subject before and they tell me it’s the top brass who issue instructions to do nothing as they don’t want any photos of the police arresting Muslims in the newspapers the next morning.

“Incredibly only weeks before, a group of middle aged men - some from my constituency - were demonstrating in London against being stripped of their pensions. Yet they were moved on by police because they were wearing only boxer shorts.

“I am immensely proud of my country and would like to see the kind of national pride found in other countries. People from different cultures can, and in most cases do, live comfortably side by side. I grew up in a multicultural area of north London and now represent a constituency with a reasonably-sized Kashmiri community. The majority of Muslims do not support the behaviour of this small minority and I am sure would join me in my calls for police to take action against these demonstrations – just as they would with anyone else.”