If you happened to catch footage of Essex Police calmly escorting Far Left activists straight into a standoff with Epping residents—who were protesting a hotel being used to house single male asylum seekers—you might’ve done a double take.
But honestly, it’s not even shocking anymore. This kind of scene has become all too familiar.
A Long History of Political Policing
Let’s rewind the clock a bit. More than two decades ago, I coined the term “the paramilitary wing of New Labour” to describe the police force.
And sadly, that label feels more accurate than ever.
Under Tony Blair and his university mate Ian Blair (no relation), who led the Met Police at one point, the police force started leaning hard into politics.
Ian Blair wasn’t exactly your traditional cop—more like a social worker with a fancy hat.
His tenure was marked by openly progressive policies and symbolic gestures that aligned with the Labour government’s views.
From Slogans on Squad Cars to Arresting Opposition MPs
It even got to the point where, during an election campaign, Blair’s motorcade featured police vehicles decked out with Labour slogans like “Vote Labour” and “Britain Forward Not Back.”
But the real low point? That might’ve been the arrest of Conservative MP Damian Green.
He was accused of leaking government info—a claim pushed by then Home Secretary Jacqui Smith—and was arrested by a team of 20 anti-terrorism officers.
The case fell apart, but not before it looked like a scene out of East Germany, with political opponents being treated like threats to national security.
The Rainbow Squad and Pride Policing
Instead of learning from the criticism, the police seem to have doubled down on picking sides.
We’ve seen police cruisers painted in Pride rainbow colors, officers donning high heels and painting their nails for social media photo ops, and a growing obsession with symbolic activism.
Some might remember the police breakdancing and skateboarding alongside Extinction Rebellion protesters—yes, the same ones who brought London traffic to a standstill.
Then there was the infamous “taking the knee” moment during Black Lives Matter protests.
Protecting Protesters—or Just Picking Sides?
More recently, the Met has been giving escorts and protections to pro-Palestinian marchers, some of whom were heard chanting anti-Israel slogans.
In one bizarre twist, police even warned the head of a Jewish advocacy group for supposedly appearing “too Jewish” at a protest.
So it’s no surprise that Essex Police walked hand-in-hand with Stand Up To Racism—a group linked to the Socialist Workers Party—into Epping.
Their mission? To stir up confrontation with residents who were rightly concerned about their town being used, yet again, for housing migrants with no local consultation.
The Spark in Epping: A Crime That Fueled the Fire
Tensions in Epping weren’t just about immigration in general.
Things boiled over after a young girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by an Ethiopian migrant—just eight days after he arrived by small boat.
That’s the reality locals were responding to.
A sensible police response? Keep the Stand Up To Racism group well away from an already volatile area.
But instead, officers marched them right into the heart of the community protest.
When things inevitably got heated, the Far Left group was whisked away in police vans “for their safety.”
Denial, Excuses, and the Usual Spin
At first, Essex Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington denied everything—said his officers didn’t escort anyone.
Then, when footage proved otherwise, he pivoted to the age-old excuse: the police were simply defending “freedom of assembly.”
It’s the same argument used by the Met to justify softly handling anti-Israel protests.
But that defense starts to sound hollow when you look at Harrington’s track record.
A Knock at the Door—for a Social Media Post
Take what happened to columnist Allison Pearson.
On Remembrance Sunday, she posted (and later deleted) a photo of police standing near protesters with what she mistakenly identified as a Palestinian flag.
It was actually the flag of a Pakistani political party. The police came knocking, investigating her for a potential hate crime.
So, chant for genocide in public? That might be overlooked.
But get something wrong on Twitter? Better expect a visit.
It’s Not the Frontline Cops—It’s the Culture at the Top
To be fair, the average officer on the street isn’t the one calling these shots.
The real blame lies with the senior leadership—the ones desperate to climb the ranks by embracing every trendy Far Left ideology that wins them political points.
That said, no one is excusing violence from anti-migrant protesters.
Throwing petrol bombs or damaging police vehicles is never okay.
But the issue here is consistency. If someone from the Right causes trouble, it’s swift condemnation and arrests. If it’s the Far Left? Cue the police escort.
Political Cover and No Accountability
Calls for Harrington to step down have been loud, especially from figures like Nigel Farage.
But he’s not going anywhere—and he knows it. Why would he, when he has the likely backing of Keir Starmer and others in high places?
Starmer’s answer to any resistance to his immigration approach seems to be labeling opponents “Far Right” and unleashing a very compliant police force to do the dirty work.
Where Does This Leave Us?
So here we are. What used to be a force focused on upholding the law is now better described as an enforcement arm of every major Far Left cause—from Extinction Rebellion to the Socialist Workers Party.
Mind how you go. The modern police service might be watching—but only if you’re on the wrong side of their politics.