Met criticised over 'plebgate'

Andrew Mitchell was forced to resign over the 'plebgate' affair
10 June 2013

Former chief whip Andrew Mitchell was the victim of media spin at the highest level of the Metropolitan Police over the "plebgate" affair, a Labour MP says.

Tom Watson, MP for West Bromwich East, joined other MPs in criticising the role of the Met and its Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe over the case, which led to Mr Mitchell's resignation following a series of damaging headlines.

Conservative MP Richard Ottaway, for Croydon South, said Sir Bernard "has got a lot of questions to answer" after he admitted discussing the case with journalists and breaking his own rules by not keeping a note of the discussions.

Mr Watson said the case was important as ordinary people could be caught up in a similar situation but would not have the same level of access to the press to attempt to clear their name, as Mr Mitchell did in a Channel 4 Dispatches investigation.

Turning to Police Minister Damian Green during Home Office questions in the Commons, the Labour MP said: "After a terribly bruising encounter at the hands of the media, Mr Mitchell attempted to clear his name in the press. What now seems apparent is he was the victim of media spin at the highest level of the Metropolitan Police.

"Do you understand that this case is particularly important, not because the wronged party was a member of Parliament but because it could happen to any one of our constituents, who don't have the vehicle to put this right?"

Mr Ottaway said there was now a "situation where the police and the Met appear to have fabricated evidence against a Cabinet minister".

He said: "The Met Commissioner put in charge of the investigation admits to discussing the case with journalists, in breach of his own rules he fails to keep a note of the discussion, and six months later we don't even have a report. Would you agree that the Metropolitan Commissioner has got a lot of questions to answer?"

Mr Mitchell resigned from his role after it was claimed that he swore at police officers and called them "plebs" when they refused to let him leave Downing Street on his bike via the main gate in September last year.

But a subsequent Channel 4 investigation cast doubt on that account when it revealed CCTV footage which showed there was not a large group of tourists outside the main gate at the time as had originally been claimed. An email from a civilian witness backing up the police account of events has also since been called into question.

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