Met Police lie to government. Again.

[RichardCranium]

Metropolitan Police caught out lying to a Commons committee:

Plain-clothes officers 'were deployed at G20 demo'

Scotland Yard has admitted giving MPs inaccurate information by denying "covert officers" were deployed at London's G20 protests in April 2009.

Giving evidence at the select committee in 2009, Commander Bob Broadhurst told MPs then: "The only officers we deploy for intelligence purposes at public order are forward intelligence team officers who are wearing full police uniforms with a yellow jacket with blue shoulders. "There were no plain clothes officers deployed at all."

Questions arose about Mr Broadhurst's evidence following the unmasking of undercover policeman Mark Kennedy, who attended many demonstrations during seven years living as a spy among green activists.

The Met statement released on Wednesday said: "Having made thorough checks on the back of recent media reporting we have now established that covert officers were deployed during the G20 protests. Therefore the information that was given by Commander Bob Broadhurst to the Home Affairs Select Committee saying that 'We had no plain-clothes officers deployed within the crowd' was not accurate."

"Not accurate" is one way of putting it. "Lying to parliament" is another.

The Police are supposed to be answerable to us, not the other way around, FFS.

The Met are there own worst enemy.

[Old Greg]

The Police are supposed to be answerable to us, not the other way around, FFS.

Where did you get that idea from? The police are the muscle of the state, there to defend the interests of the ruling classes.

[RichardCranium]

Where did you get that idea from?

The Peelian principles

the philosophy that Robert Peel developed to define an ethical police force. The principles traditionally ascribed to Peel state that:

* Every police officer should be issued a badge number, to assure accountability for his actions.
* Whether the police are effective is not measured on the number of arrests, but on the lack of crime.
* Above all else, an effective authority figure knows trust and accountability are paramount. Hence, Peel's most often quoted principle: The police are the public and the public are the police.

[Old Greg]

The Peelian principles

Don't believe that for a moment.

[xoggoth]

The police are the muscle of the state, there to defend the interests of the ruling classes

Not totally sure it's true but it is such a spendid statement I am convinced it is.

[Paddy]

It has been quite obvious that the police have not only have present in undercover operations at demonstrations but also acted as agent provocateur in order to discredit any protest against the establishment.

[thunderlizard]

But please don't forget: the majority of policemen are law-abiding people. It's only a small hardcore minority of policemen who go to these demos intent on causing violence.

[AtW]

"Not accurate" is one way of putting it. "Lying to parliament" is another.

It would only be lying if he knew the truth at the time and told the other way around, if he was given inaccurate info in the first place then he would not be lying.

[DaveB]

It would only be lying if he knew the truth at the time and told the other way around, if he was given inaccurate info in the first place then he would not be lying.

Chances are he was deliberately not told. "Plausible Deniability".

"I was not aware of specific operational activities."

If I don't know about something I can be accused of lying about it later or refusing to answer questions about it.

[RichardCranium]

It would only be lying if he knew the truth at the time and told the other way around, if he was given inaccurate info in the first place then he would not be lying.

He went to the committee representing the Met.

If Met staff told him lies, and he told them to the committee, then the Met lied. Which is what I entitled the thread: "Met Police lie to government. Again."

- - -

I have been involved in the sidelines when civil servants have been required to attend a government committee to answer questions. The research done before-hand to determine what may be asked and have evidence to back up answers is remarkably thorough. There are experts sitting with the person being questioned and ream of documentation they can refer to.

It is very likely he knew he was lying.