The claim that the criminal justice system is generally biased against white people is baseless. It is black Britons, not white ones, who are most likely to be victims of discriminatory policing: in 2021 to 2022 they were 2.4 times more likely to be arrested than white people and 3.5 times more likely to be victims of police violence.

Why, then, is the myth of “two-tier” policing spreading? Many Britons feel let down by the police—less than half think their local force is doing a good or excellent job, down from 63% a decade ago. Far-right influencers are happy to exploit that feeling. Selective presentation of evidence, vitriolic argument and the shareability of memes buoy their claims on social media and messaging apps. Mainstream politicians and media outlets who echo the far right’s language lend their claims legitimacy. Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, a populist right-wing party, has spoken of two-tier policing, as has Suella Braverman, a Conservative former home secretary. Ill-informed interventions by the likes of Mr Musk only amplify the idea.