'They can dance the Macarena in their spare time': Truss says police should focus on fighting crime
31 August 2022, 21:07 | Updated: 31 August 2022, 21:52
Truss says police should 'dance the Macarena in their spare time'
Liz Truss has said the police can "dance the Macarena in their own time" and should be focusing on tackling criminal activity instead.
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Speaking at the final Tory leadership hustings on Wednesday night, Ms Truss criticised police for the light-hearted gestures like dancing sometimes seen from officers at events like Pride and Notting Hill Carnival.
Responding to a question from LBC host Nick Ferrari about whether she was "in favour of police officers dancing the Macarena, taking the knee and [male] officers painting their fingernails," Ms Truss said they should focus on fighting crime.
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Ms Truss also criticised the Labour London mayor Sadiq Khan at the hustings, which is taking place at Wembley Arena, over a spate of killings and robberies in the city over recent weeks.
"What we have to do is we have to get Sadiq Khan out of office," she said. "That is the way that we will deal with this issue."
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Ms Truss added that the government should treat police forces like schools, with a public ranking that compares their success at tackling crime.
She said: "What the government can do is they can provide more information to the public about exactly what isn’t happening with crime in London, and that is what I would aim to do with league tables."
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Rishi Sunak, who is going head-to-head with Ms Truss in the Tory leadership race, also slammed "political correctness" for blocking police officers from fighting crime.
Mr Sunak said: "When it comes to crime, I will do whatever it takes to ensure that my two young daughters grow up in a society where it is safe for them to walk the streets at night.
"Whether it is using stop-and-search or tackling the heinous grooming gangs, I will never let political correctness stand in the way of keeping us safe."
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He added: "As your prime minister, my message will be simple - if you break the law, come here illegally, if you undermine our system, there will be no place for you, because it is the fundamental right of our country to protect its borders and that is what I will deliver."
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Ms Truss is widely expected to win the Tory leadership contest, in which she is running against the former Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Voting, which is restricted to Conservative members, closes on Friday (September 2) and the new Prime Minister will be announced on Monday (September 5).
