A Scotland Yard commander was accused of misleading parliament tonight after an inquiry found that undercover police were secretly deployed at the G20 protests to spy on activists, contrary to the police chief's denials.Whoops!
Mind you, given the frequency of politicians lying to us, it’s a bit rich of them to complain when it’s done to them, isn’t it?
Commander Bob Broadhurst, who had overall command of the G20 policing operation, told the home affairs select committee in May that "no plain clothes officers [were] deployed at all" during the demonstrations in the City of London.And that, it turned out, was a lie. Or rather, an ‘inadvertantly misleading statement’ as we are apparently now calling them:
It has emerged that 25 undercover City of London police were stationed around the Bank of England to gather "intelligence" on protesters on 1 and 2 April. Broadhurst stands by the evidence he gave to MPs, claiming the deployment of undercover officers was unknown to him.Wasn’t that pretty much the same line Blair used when he stood accused of parroting the line about De Menezes jumping barriers?
These goons aren’t even smart with their lies, are they?
Brake said Broadhurst had "inadvertently misled" parliament, thus revealing a "startling lack of co-ordination" in the top ranks.Actually, I think it shows a lot of co-ordination; when cornered, they all fall back on what they know works.
So, who are the fools here?
9 comments:
JuliaM
Please understand that the statement "no plain clothes officers [were] deployed at all" obviously means that "plain clothes officers [were] deployed". "Inadvertently" (which, in this case means "deliberately) the former statement misled those to whom it was addressed into not understanding that the latter statement bears the true meaning of the former statement. I hope you've got that clear now.
OTOH don't think too badly of Broadhurst. Since the select committee is chaired by Keith Vaz, I can't really blame Broadhurst for treating it with contempt.
Bob Broadhurst is a man you can trust, one of the few 'normal' people that have got to that level. That said there are so many that can't be trusted or SHOUDN'T be trusted.
This matter highlights the problem of how our police forces are structured (as well as managed) in the 21st Century, especially the retention of the City of London Police, the only 'City' force that survived the amalgamations of the 1960's through the assertion of its role in fraud investigation.
It survived further moves to amalgamate with the Met following the IRA bombings in the early 90's that led to the 'Ring of Steel' thus adding the protection of the Square Mile from terrorists as well as fraudsters. It remains the best little police force that money can buy - something the Corporation of London feels adds to their particular status within the UK.
Unfortunately the G20 demos took place within the City of London Police area and after their disastrous handling of an earlier such demonstration (can't remember the year) control was given to the Met who would have a strategic view for the whole of London and the means to co-ordinate 'Mutual Aid' from other police forces as well as bringing the Met, City of London and BTP to deal with 'Pan-London' events. The Met may well have been 'in control' but the City Police were the force responsible for the deployment of these plain clothes officers. The Met model is to use uniformed FIT or forward intelligence teams, who are clearly identifiable rather than plain clothed units for all sorts of reasons - mostly for officer safety. Quite why there is a need for plain clothes units in such disturbances when there is so much CCTV and other monitoring systems available to the police is a question no one seems to have asked the City police command team. Thus the left and the right hands act alone. It is a shame that Bob Broadhurst is the scapegoat. Time for the CoLP to be subsumed, the savings on wages for ranks of chief inspector and above would be substantial. It is also time for the hysteria over this G20 matter to end.
"It is also time for the hysteria over this G20 matter to end."
That's how dictatorships flourish.
The phrase 'inadvertently misled' rarely passes my smell test.
Wasn't it trotted out by some MP's (during Expensesgate) when they were found to be claiming reimbursement for mortgages they'd already paid off ?
Blair's cheerleaders also say he only 'inadvertently misled' Parliament & people with his WMD claims in 2002 !
Well, if I ever get nabbed & swabbed by Plod, I'll make sure that, when questioned, I'll never ever ever lie to them.
I might let slip the odd "inadvertantly misleading statement", but I won't tell any fibs.
Pity that the archaic 'liar' has finally fallen into disuse. I liked a distinct ring to the word.
Speaking of potting and kettling, I do recall UK police blogs bloated with views from bigoted police, that the crushing and beating of our citizens on the streets amounted to good policing. Only silly citizens and troublemakers would refuse to accept the necessity and justification for the police assaults and mass detentions.
Naturally, not a single police officer was disguised and planted in the crowds as a troublesome agent provocateur.
The eventual vindication of the public view that police behaved as crude, yobbish thugs is confirmed in official reports that police actions amounted to those of a criminal gang.
Will apologies be forthcoming in respect of foul abuse suffered by citizens critical of G20 on Coppersblog and Gadget - pigs will fly first.
Calm down Melv - time for the meds?
"Since the select committee is chaired by Keith Vaz, I can't really blame Broadhurst for treating it with contempt."
Good point!
"Time for the CoLP to be subsumed, the savings on wages for ranks of chief inspector and above would be substantial."
It's a bit of a historical anomaly, true..
"The phrase 'inadvertently misled' rarely passes my smell test."
Mine neither! :)
"Well, if I ever get nabbed & swabbed by Plod, I'll make sure that, when questioned, I'll never ever ever lie to them."
You'd better say at least something though, or the consequences could be dire...
"Naturally, not a single police officer was disguised and planted in the crowds as a troublesome agent provocateur."
Oh, I think if there was any real evidence of that, this commitee would be all over it.
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