Flatulent_Bob
Posts: 7790
Joined: 30/9/2005
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: elab49
So what exactly did Mitchell initially apologise for if not a run-in with police officers during which he was at fault? He did issue an apology - I can't have imagined that because I do remember part of the Police Federation's attack was that it was a pathetic one. I didn't say he agreed with the log word for word apart from that because I wasn't sure whether part of the investigation suggested it wasn't the original one that was published. But he did apologise and the phrase used at the time was he 'lost it'.
"Well I did not swear at a policeman, what I did was to say in frustration as I turned away from the main gates - look I thought you guys [the police] were supposed to f.ing help us. That was a comment on the situation. but it's not swearing at a policeman. but it was bad language and I apologised for that and my apology was accepted."
That apology was highlighted in the meeting with the police federation, and they accepted his version of those events and the apology.
They then went outside and gave a complete contradictory statement to the press.
As I said above it would have been fine if Mitchell hadn't recorded it.
quote:
ORIGINAL: elab49
So this is where I'm confused. Did the entire thing not take place now? I know I disagree with FB on whether or not it was a story - but, 'pleb' aside, it did happen? 
The fact that a first note of the incident didn't mention plebs. It was the police officers report later who stated that pleb had been used and backed up by an independent witness who turned out to be a police federation member who was never there.
quote:
ORIGINAL: elab49
As for entrenched, I initially asked a question. About the original report of the incident - whether, in fact, other than Mitchell saying he didn't say pleb, on which the two policement and he disagree, that report had changed. That question wasn't answered so I assumed this was still a discussion on the wider scandal.
Well one person who stated it had been said has been arrested, the protection officers who put it in their report are suspended and under investigation as the CCTV doesn't support their evidence, and the Federation rep who also stated it to the press is also under investigation and possible legal action. He has also been proven to be disparately misleading in that interview he gave afterwards.
quote:
I think 'pleb' is generally seen as dismissive and is used as an insult in many contexts. Used by a member of this Cabinet it would be a story inofitself. And was 
but he seemingly didn't say it, or at least the evidence of those who claimed he did is very unreliable.
Also here's an interesting comment from the Police federation who knew The Sun reports based on a leak from the force didn't seem correct but decided to do nothing.
quote:
Andrew Mitchell's situation got much worse - when the Police Federation got their teeth into the story. The Federation was in dispute with the government about proposed cuts to the service - so for them the 'plebgate' story was a gift.
Channel 4 Dispatches have discovered that The Sun got the 'plebgate' story from a copy of what purported to be a police document and that they had passed that on to the Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, John Tully, for verification.
,Mr Tully tells the programme he had had some reservations about the document's veracity.
"I couldn't confirm the veracity of it because I didn't know who it had come from and if it had been constructed by anyone", he says.
The Sun had published the story - but not the document. The Telegraph did publish the document and identified it as a police log.
"Well the concern I have, my concern is that it has always been called a police log and it is nothing like a police log.", says John Tully.
Tully also expressed concerns about how The Sun got hold of confidential information but never reported it to the Metropolitan Police.
"I can't remember my exact conversation with The Sun but I was concerned that if it had been an original document - how they had come about it was a worry to me yes.", says Tully.
When asked if he reported it, Tully says: "No - Not to the Met police."
< Message edited by Flatulent_Bob -- 5/2/2013 7:24:07 PM >
_____________________________
I'm your huckleberry...
All the world will be your enemy, Prince of a Thousand enemies. And when they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you; digger, listener, runner, Prince with the swift warning. Be cunning, and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed.
Oh my God! They banned Kenny!
|
Printable Version
RE: The British Politics Thread - 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread