I have always been, and will always be, a staunch supporter of our police officers.

They do a vital job for us, often under very challenging circumstances, and we owe them a debt of gratitude.

There have been moments recently, though, when some have called into question the impartiality of our police.

Whether it was an arrest at Manchester Airport, violent extremism at Israel/Gaza protests, or the riots last summer, a vocal minority has - entirely wrongly in my view - accused police officers of every kind of bias.

Putting all their wildly different claims together, they totally contradict each other, but that hasn't stopped this small bunch from talking about what they describe as 'two-tier policing’.

In every walk of life, trust is earned, and the police are no different. However, demands for them to be held accountable for just doing their job without fear or favour risks damaging the important bond of trust that exists between the police and the public.

That's why the government is prioritising putting 13,000 more police officers, PCSOs and special constables back on our streets again rather than pandering to far-fetched claims about 'two-tier policing’.

Both as a local MP and as a Home Office minister, I work closely with some incredible men and women serving in our police. Last year, I saw how they dealt with the tragic, despicable killings in Southport. I also saw how they dealt with a minority who used it as an excuse to riot.

When a few individuals - the type you'd cross the street to avoid - tried to start a riot in Barnsley, they failed miserably.

No surprise, as I had many messages from my constituents sharing their disgust at looting and violent disorder elsewhere. These decent folk far outnumbered a small cohort making excuses for rioters and backing ridiculous claims against police officers who were shamefully being attacked by mobs ransacking shops, and even a library.

In this situation, the police dealt with what they saw in front of them. No one is above the law - a criminal is a criminal, a rioter is a rioter.

The sentencing of the Southport murderer last month saw, again, the best and worst of our country. Whilst the nation wrapped its arms around the victims and their families, there was a group still obsessed with telling lies about 'two-tier policing’.

These cranks can never agree on who's actually benefiting from 'two-tier policing', but all of them seem to prefer to watch conspiracy theory videos online rather than actually engage with the facts.

Worryingly, some right-wing MPs now seem to agree that facts don't matter and are putting political self-interest before service by jumping on this bandwagon.

But politicians spouting nonsense about 'two-tier policing' aren't speaking for the country. In truth, they're plastic patriots eroding trust in our police officers who put themselves in harm's way to keep us safe. I know that most of us see through the nonsense of 'two-tier policing'.

Honest, decent people support our police to do their duty without fear or favour.