A FORMER Barrow MP has denied there is a two-tier policing at protests but said there is 'a gap in knowledge' when it comes to far-left extremism. 

Lord Walney was invited to speak at the London Assembly's police and crime committee as part of his role as the Government's independent advisor on political violence and disruption.

He said Jewish communities in London have been 'deeply troubled' by pro-Palestine demonstrations and feel 'unsafe' going into the centre of the capital during the marches.

He also accused some demonstrators of openly supporting terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah. 

The issue of so-called 'two-tier policing',  made famous by Elon Musk sharing the phrase on his platform X during the UK-wide riots in August, came up at the panel.

Lord Walney said: "Two-tier policing is not correct. I don't believe anyone in the Met or any other [force] wishes to treat different protests in different ways. 

"Nevertheless I have been concerned with the level of criminality that is on display in protests." 

John Woodcock was the Barrow MP until 2019 before taking up a peerage in the House of Lords. He published a report in the final days of the Sunak Conservative government that is now being reviewed by current ministers under Sir Keir Starmer. 

Lord Walney said his review looked at both far right and left groups in the UK.

"There is a gap in knowledge and understanding of extreme left wing and anarchist movements," he said. He said this gap should be addressed in the UK's intelligence and security infrastructure "because of the latent damage that those movements can do - sometimes aided by foreign states - to our democratic systems." 

READ MORE: Lord Walney rejects claims he is no longer government advisor

He was grilled on one of his recommendations to ask large protest groups marching in London weekly to make a financial contribution or to have a break as a solution to the continual drain on police resources. 

He argued the police are forced to prioritise protests over other matters. However his fellow panellist human rights lawyer Kirsty Brimelow KC called the idea 'unlawful' and that it misunderstood articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights. 

She later said on X that his proposal 'found no support in the room.'