Home Office chiefs were last night accused of pandering to Islam after it was revealed that they handed out a staggering 15 times more funding to a Muslim police support group than to its Christian equivalent.
A furious backlash followed revelations that the Christian Police Association received just £15,000 over the past five years while the National Association of Muslim Police was paid £90,000 in the past two years alone.
The newly released figures revealed that the CPA received an average of £3,000 a year, while the NAMP received £45,000 a year, despite both organisations having around 2,000 members.
The information was released by Home Secretary Alan Johnson after a written parliamentary question from his shadow Chris Grayling.
Last night Christian groups reacted with anger after learning of the difference in Home Office funding. Alan Craig, leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance, said the move was “yet another sign of discrimination” against Christian groups in the UK. Mr Craig, a councillor in the London borough of Newham, added: “Christians are constantly marginalised and discriminated against by the Government, who are ignoring one of this country’s principal faiths.”