POLICE MATTERS

NOVEMBER 7th 2007
The calls for the Commissioner, Ian Blair, to resign are truly appalling. They come from the usual crowd of political whores* to whom I must now add David Cameron and Chris Huhne. In fact Cameron is coming over more and more as a quick thinking, fast talking salesman who hasn't a clue or a scruple in his makeup. I thought he was a nice guy, but if he is, he sure is a moron.

* I don't wish to insult whores, they have troubles enough of their own.

See also The London Bomb Attacks

DECEMBER 22nd 2008
Met Police Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, who has been looking into the Green affair (Quick is heading the leaks investigation which saw senior Tory MP Damian Green arrested last month) said on Sunday he had been forced to move his family after a published newspaper article put them at risk. He claimed on Sunday the Tory party had mobilised the press against him.

Unfortunately the Tory party doesn't need to mobilise the press, there are enough editors desperate for any row they can stir up to sell copy and convince the public that our great free press alone can save them from both a police state on the one hand and corrupt politicians on the other. So Quick has had to apologise. The Tories have accepted the apology and say they wish to draw a line under this - which is not surprising as although there is no doubt the 'party' is not behind the usual suspects in the media the idea that there are no connections is not credible either.

It would be a pity if we lost Commissioner Quick as he is a key player in police security with an excellent reputation. He is also one of the people who know just how much pressure the security services are under and why it would be useful to be able to detain suspects (like other countries can for the most trivial offences) while complex terrorist related cases are investigated. His efforts to explain this to politicians have caused him to be accused of trying to politicise the police. I don't think so. Now his political impartiallity is being questioned. If showing impartiality means bottling your feelings I don't find that appropriate at all. I think frankness is what we value and if he thinks the Tory party are not all his cup of tea, why the hell should he not say so. I know a few excellent Tories. Unfortunately they have little to do with the party these days - with some exceptions.