I am still trying to make sense of the whole affair - was it a little spat which got out of hand or was it, as has now been alleged, an attempt to "fit up" Andrew Mitchell?
Neither option seems particularly credible to me. Mitchell admits to swearing at the police, but not using the word "pleb". I'm quite sure that this would not have been the first time that someone had swore at the police officers concerned and I fail to see their objection to the word "pleb" - I'm quite sure that far worse words would have been used against them when they were beat officers on routine duties. Personally, I would have been more offended by the use of swear words, particularly from a a Minister of the Crown, but seemingly these was considered unimportant which I find disappointing.
The suggestion that someone is trying to "fit-up" Andrew Mitchell seems equally unlikely. As far as the public is concerned, Mitchell was a nobody; the public aren't concerned about who is Chief Whip, it doesn't affect them in any way. So why on earth would anyone want to fit him up? Logically, only someone affected by his work would have an interest in doing so, which would be one or more of the hundred or so Tories who have rebelled against the government at some point and thus had their prospective careers curtailed. But collusion with the police - this seems totally improbable even to the most ardent conspiracy theorist.
Other commentators suggest that the Police Federation is behind the whole affair, but why? Surely their target would be Theresa May, the Home Secretary, whom they clearly dislike if one is to judge by their treatment of her at this year's annual meeting of the Federation. But would police officers lie for their Federation? For a mate maybe, but for a federation, no, I wouldn't think so.
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The police colluding together to lie and secure the resignation of a member of the government? I'd say that was pretty serious, regardless of Mitchell's conduct or who is behind it.
ReplyDeleteWe all know that the police routinely lie, but this is different. They have been caught red-handed (or red-tongued, if you prefer). Anyone that regarded a police log as being an impartial and truthful record of events has now been comprehensively disproven. I wonder how many junior barristers and re-writing their standard closing speech?
The police log is written immediately after the event, and one assumes that there will be other entries following it on other matters. If one assumes the log is falsified, this must have been done more or less immediately. Unless it was all pre-planned, I don't think the officers would falsify it then and there, and unless they left a space, which might be seen at any time by a superior, it would be difficult later.
Deletereally interesting discussion
ReplyDeleteI would love you to do a blog (from the English pensioner perspective) on the same topic as mine at
http://pensionerblogs.blogspot.co.uk/
Revolution in France
All politicians have, and deserve, my contempt. Especially Tory ones.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear from their attitude that they are much more important than the "Plebs" that keep us safe.
But that's not the half of it: They have used their friends in the media to soften up the public to believe that people like me are not ill but "benefit scroungers".
I was recently disgusted when standing behind a man, forced into a job finding program, to hear him protesting to the receptionist that it was not worth him looking for a job as he would be dead in about four months.
Caring Conservatives? That's like black whitewash.
How long will it be before pensioners are also targeted because they also are too expensive?