Tory MP posts strange video branding constituents ‘savages’ and ‘scroats’

A Tory MP has shared a bizarre rant lashing out at “savages”, “scroats” and “scumbags” in his constituency over soaring levels of anti-social behaviour.

Jonathan Gullis posted the video – which has been widely shared on social media – days after Labour accused the Conservatives of being “missing in the fight against crime”.

The Stoke-on-Trent North MP, who previously sparked outrage by saying kidnapped children shouldn’t come to the UK “illegally”, appears visibly angry in the clip.

Appealing for more police and CCTV, he said Smallthorne, an area in the north of Stoke-on-Trent, is blighted by “scumbags who fly-tip their filth in our community”.

And he added that other areas are also terrorised by “savages”, saying: “In Cobridge where scroats deal and shoot up their drugs wrecking havoc on our community, and in Tunstall where savages and their antisocial behaviour causes mayhem for local businesses and local people.”

Many were quick to point out that the Tories have been in power for 13 years, during which time they’ve been accused of decimating neighbourhood policing.

Former Conservative MP Anna Soubry, who left the party in 2019, posted: “It’s not just his language & lack of compassion that’s so shocking but Jonathan Gullis also fails to understand he’s describing his party’s legacy after 13 years in Government & his after 3 years as Stoke’s MP.

“Another eg of Conservatives drift to the unhinged right.”

Nazir Afzal, former chief executive of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, wrote: “Jonathan Gullis MP describing the impact of 13 years of his Govt very well I would suggest.”

Mr Gullis shared the video to support a petition he’d launched complaining that no government cash for CCTV and extra street lighting had made its way to the north of the city.

He wrote: “When out and about, residents tell me that alley gates, more CCTV and better street lighting are what they want to see.

“Our areas are suffering disproportionately from burglaries, aggressive begging and antisocial behaviour, so it is about time extra money comes our way.”

It comes just days after Labour accused the Tories of failing to deal with anti-social behaviour by slashing police teams.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, announcing plans to recruit 13,000 neighbourhood officers and PCSOs if Labour comes to power, said last week: “For 13 years, the Conservatives have deliberately run a hands-off Home Office, failing to take proper action on serious areas of rising crime, failing to introduce serious policing reform.

“Conservative Ministers obviously made the decision to hit policing, prosecution and the courts hard with austerity which caused deep damage to those services. But then they also walked away.”

And Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed unveiled plans to tackle fly-tippers and hold parents responsible for the behaviour of their kids.