The bentest of the bent.

As long as Mitchell wasn't playing cards with his mates beforehand he'll be ok.

Yes, playing card residue can be very explosive.



At least they always got their man (e)
Even though it was usually the wrong one(s).

[urlhttp://www.innocent.org.uk/misc/wmidlands.html[/url

Why do you think it even comes close to suggest collusion between the authors? Would it not be much more likely that the police officer who has been arrested had seen the police log rather than been involved in writing it?

Of course it's far more likely. But that wouldn't fit the agenda of the poster in question.

The lack of critical thinking ability displayed by a few on this thread is both laughable and depressing.

2 arrests made, dodgy CCTV and a team of 30 investigating what happened and somehow the people wanting truth and justice are the ones with 'an agenda' - baffling.

To be fair, its probably not much worse than is normal on Rlfans when the police are subject to criticism.

The second arrest has nothing to do with the original incident:



So no conspiracy there. In fact no evidence whatsoever of any conspiracy anywhere. And the people harking on about police conspiracies aren't after 'truth and justice'. They're just desperate to score political points.

Oh excellent news. With your so obviously superior critical thinking skills maybe you can contact Scotland Yard and let them know not to bother with the thirty person investigation. I'm sure they will realise once it's you that's called, they don't need to bother with an investigation.

That was sarcasm by the way. Just in case you thought I was being serious.

A cabinet minister was involved in the incident. If you don't think it's going to get political you are on a different planet. Labour certainly made enough capital out of it. But I assume that's OK is it?

My superior critical skills enable me not to see conspiracies where there is no evidence of any, and to realise that what's being investigated is (in one case) the conduct of a Police officer and (in the second) an unspecified offence that took place just a few days ago.


I always treat everything you post as a joke.


Where exactly have I suggested that it wouldn't get political?

The really fun thing about all of this is watching how Cameron handles the next few days and weeks.

Conservative governments have always courted the police, the Thatcher government were a prime example of bringing the police federation on board knowing that they would need them in times of civil unrest when their own brand of "economies" were put into place, and in turn, with individual exceptions noted, the police have always been supportive of whatever government has been in power, its that sort of service, very similar to the Armed Forces no matter what the individuals political thoughts they swear an oath to The Queen and her government and promise to follow her/their every instruction.

Its why you see police officers kettling demonstrators rather than joining them.

Now that the situation is festering with every new day, now that Mitchell and his not insignificant supporters, including the media who are hanging on his every new statement, have publically stated that they have no confidence in the Met Police Commissioner what will Cameron do ?

Does he follow Mitchells lead and use stronger words than the ones he used the other day when he suggested that the police MAY be culpable, dare he have a public row with the Metropolitan Police, dare he suggest that the armed police officers who stand at the end of his street shielding himself and his family from terrorism are corrupt and make up stories about his mates and colleagues in order to discredit them - will he employ a private security company to protect himself if he doesn't trust The Met?

Group 4 for instance ?

Good laugh these posh boys aren't they ?

Did you miss the last paragraph of the report you link to?

Clearly, at the time, yes.



Actually noticed that line later but could I be d going back and editing? No, instead I left it in the hope no-one would be so anal as to pick up on it.

Some hope that was!

What I am not understanding is why the CCTV footage is not being released - surely that would solve this once and for all?

Thats probably why the government won't release it, it will have the sanctimonious little scrote bang to rights.

Its how lawyers work, you only ever release evidence that supports your side of the story and then hope that the opposition don't have anything to counteract it, the opposition is quite entitled to keep their tinder dry until such a time as they can crush you with it.

I can't imagine that Cameron is happy with the situation or that he hasn't already demanded to see ALL of the evidence.

True, though I think the term 'pleb' is being kind to some of them....I'd say 'corrupt' and 'bent' fits quite a few...

Looks like Camoron was briefed long ago, [url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/plebgate-david-cameron-knew-andrew-mitchell-evidence-was-suspect-three-months-ago-8428041.htmlthree months ago in fact.[/url Seems like he had such faith in his Chief Whip that he sat on the evidence and let "nature" take its course

You just can't do that as a leader of a business though can you - if you have two parties at loggerheads with each other both telling stories completely at odds with each other AND you have sufficient cctv evidence (not those pathetic clips that are in the public domain) to absolutely beyond any doubt show what happened, then you get both party's to sit down in a meeting room and you lay everythign on the table and you thrash it out between you all, clear the air, make a decision as CEO and then get on with the important jobs.

He's desperately trying to stay out of this and his office is spoon feeding snippets to the press every day, the only ones who aren't making any comments at all are the Met and the Diplomatic Protection Squad - what the hell have they got up their sleeves ?

Sooner or later Cameron will have to stand up and get involved and bring things to a head, problem is that the time to do it quietly without any fuss or even a mention in the press (it didn't appear for days afterwards) is long gone and one or other of the chiefs heads will roll at the end of all this.

I would suggest the MPS and DPG have jack s... Up their sleeve. It's the Police Federation of the West Midlands Police who have taken this on board. The mets fed and the Met as a whole have said all they need to say on the matter. From what I have seen they dealt with it on the day. MP swears at them and its delt with there and then. Report goes in end of story. That's how it's been ALL along. Then ONE rogue officer (yes there are one or two in 30000+) tries to make political gain out of it. Why Mitchell only he would know. The WMP Fed take the story up and bingo we have a toxic mix in which no one wins. Least of all Mitchell who admits he swore at the police.
CCTV DOES NOT prove if he said pleb or not.

What some of you on here seem to think is that CCTV is conclusive. Generally speaking it proves nothing least of all when we are talking about speech as it does not pick up what was said.
If any of you can say for certain that Mitchelll didn't say pleb then you are far better than me.
Mitchell has gone because of his contempt for those protecting him simple as that.
Anything in relation to the copper arrested and the 23yr old has at this time nothing to do ith the DPG on duty at the time of the incident.

I agree with all you've said but what I would take issue with is the quality of the cctv in this specific case, I just do not believe that the cctv shots in the public domain are the only ones available for if they are then the security of our government is at high risk - if any gated enclosed compound in the UK deserves (and will have) the highest quality video and audio gathering devices it will be the gate at the end of Downing Street and what we see in the public domain is the stuff that they'd normally throw away during an investigation, quite why anyone would release that to the public media as part of their campaign of innocence is beyond me other than the fact that they think we're idiots and will swallow it - the media have certainly done that, especially CH4 who's presentation of it read directly from Mitchell's PR machine.

There has been a huge change in the way that government behaves in the last decade and most of it is down to the instant sharing of information outside of the normal channels of TV news and print media (which as we know can be carefully controlled by both parties), its not sufficient as a PM to have newspaper owners in your pocket these days for they are now almost irrelevant when small pressure groups can whip up 100,000 signatures on an online petition overnight and force a vote in parliament over issues as bizarre as chopping trees down and shooting badgers, with this and twp political party's to appease the PM has very limited powers these days, hence the reason why he is desperately trying to keep a distance between himself and Mitchell.

Not really that surprising. As many have pointed out, the evidence is suspect rather than conclusive. As things stood it was Mitchell v the police. And Mitchell did admit to using inappropriate language. If Cameron had sided with Mitchell it would have become the government v the police on an isuue where the Chief Whip had admitted using bad language. Never going to happen.

Good summary of the situation.

You really can't see this affair ending well for anyone TBH.

Reading this thread sadly proves that there are still many who choose to perpetuate the old ‘class war’ at every opportunity. These dinosaurs display a common trait for character abuse (which only highlights their prejudice and in certain cases envy) as they pursue their rigid political dogma at all costs. Then as facts emerge that throw doubt on their so quick to judge prejudiced views, they totally fail to consider or acknowledge any possibility that an injustice may have occurred.

In this affair we still await the full facts which we hope will prove who is telling the truth and who is lying. So to form opinions set in concrete without knowledge of the facts is both unwise and unfair.

However what is now clear is that this scandal has become a crisis for the police with a poll suggesting that public opinion has swung in Mitchell’s favour, with more people believing his version of events than the police’s version and where there are discredited elements of the politicised police union (the Police Federation) who appear out of control. A Police Federation spokesman allegedly lied about a meeting with Mr Mitchell.

What also is looking increasingly of grave concern is that if a government minister can be “fitted up” and found guilty, without a thorough check of the allegations, what chance for an ordinary member of the public.

For a serving police officer of the diplomatic protection unit to fabricate evidence against a cabinet minister and send by email to the deputy chief whip is a very serious situation. As the contents of this email echoed the official police log it throws suspicion on this same log which is further challenged by the CCTV footage. The police log claimed “there were several members of the public present, as is the norm opposite the pedestrian gate” and “The members of the public looked visibly shocked” The police account has to be 100% reliable which it plainly is not. Had this come to a trial the case would have been thrown out.

Meanwhile Mitchell is preparing to sue individual and parts of the media.