Yvette Cooper solves one headache for justice system but may have caused another

Allowing police to disclose ethnicity and nationality of suspects could have consequences for race relations

• Plans for UK police to reveal suspects’ ethnicity a recipe for ‘dog-whistle politics’, say campaigners

By getting her way and allowing police to consider disclosing the ethnicity and nationality of suspects charged in high-profile cases, Yvette Cooper has solved one enormous headache for the criminal justice system. But she may have caused another, which could have consequences for race relations.

The home secretary has encouraged senior police officers to free themselves of longstanding protocols so they can combat the prolific use of social media by far-right bloggers and organisations that have escalated disinformation around high-profile incidents.