Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said she ended the Home Office’s association with the Stonewall charity as police are paid to fight crime and not “wave flags at parades”.

Braverman was responding to Don Valley Tory MP Nick Fletcher during an appearance in the House of Commons after he said police would solve more crimes “if they stopped promoting unscientific ideologies”.

Ms Braverman agreed and said: “We do not pay them to wave flags at parades, to dance with drag queens, or to campaign.

“That’s why I finally ended all association with Stonewall at the Home Office and why I expect all PCCs and chief constables to focus on cutting crime and rebuilding confidence, not playing politics.”