Monday, January 24, 2022
You've got to love the irony
The Independent says that police officers who guard No 10 have reportedly been interviewed as part of Sue Gray’s inquiry into parties held at Downing Street during Covid restrictions, and, according to one source, their statements to the civil servant in charge of the probe were “extremely damning”.
Ms Gray is looking into allegations of a number of parties held at Downing Street while the country was under Covid restrictions. She is expected to publish her findings in the next week.
Officers who were on duty outside No 10 at the time of alleged rule-breaking parties have now reportedly been spoken to for the inquiry.
Access to Downing Street is controlled by the Metropolitan Police’s parliamentary and diplomatic protection command. According to The Telegraph, members of this branch have given detailed testimonies about what they saw to Ms Gray.
Asked how significant their information was, a source told the newspaper: “Put it this way, if Boris Johnson is still prime minister by the end of the week, I’d be very surprised.”
These officers of course, are members of the Metropolitan Police, which force has refused to investigate potential law-breaking at these parties, preferring instead to rely on the findings of the inquiry by Sue Gray, a civil servant, with no powers to compel testimony, no effective comeback against perjury, no background in criminal investigations and who is working to limited terms of reference.
If the officers guarding No. 10 Downing Street give evidence that laws were broken by those partying behind its door, then legitimate questions must be asked as to why they did not intervene, why they did not report back to senior officers so that a proper investigation could take place, and what exactly the Commissioner knows of their experiences, and why she has declined to take action?
The irony in this case is that it should be these police officers questioning civil servants, not the other way around. Tell me again, why we should believe that the Met is fit for purpose?
Ms Gray is looking into allegations of a number of parties held at Downing Street while the country was under Covid restrictions. She is expected to publish her findings in the next week.
Officers who were on duty outside No 10 at the time of alleged rule-breaking parties have now reportedly been spoken to for the inquiry.
Access to Downing Street is controlled by the Metropolitan Police’s parliamentary and diplomatic protection command. According to The Telegraph, members of this branch have given detailed testimonies about what they saw to Ms Gray.
Asked how significant their information was, a source told the newspaper: “Put it this way, if Boris Johnson is still prime minister by the end of the week, I’d be very surprised.”
These officers of course, are members of the Metropolitan Police, which force has refused to investigate potential law-breaking at these parties, preferring instead to rely on the findings of the inquiry by Sue Gray, a civil servant, with no powers to compel testimony, no effective comeback against perjury, no background in criminal investigations and who is working to limited terms of reference.
If the officers guarding No. 10 Downing Street give evidence that laws were broken by those partying behind its door, then legitimate questions must be asked as to why they did not intervene, why they did not report back to senior officers so that a proper investigation could take place, and what exactly the Commissioner knows of their experiences, and why she has declined to take action?
The irony in this case is that it should be these police officers questioning civil servants, not the other way around. Tell me again, why we should believe that the Met is fit for purpose?
