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| David Cameron supports police chief in Operation Midland controversy | David Cameron supports police chief in Operation Midland controversy |
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| David Cameron has backed the Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe following criticism of his force’s handling of an investigation into allegations of a VIP child sex ring. | David Cameron has backed the Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe following criticism of his force’s handling of an investigation into allegations of a VIP child sex ring. |
| The prime minister said Hogan-Howe’s reappointment was a matter for the mayor of London and Theresa May, the home secretary, but when asked if the commissioner should keep his job, Cameron took the opportunity to highlight their working relationship. | The prime minister said Hogan-Howe’s reappointment was a matter for the mayor of London and Theresa May, the home secretary, but when asked if the commissioner should keep his job, Cameron took the opportunity to highlight their working relationship. |
| Hogan-Howe is currently under pressure to apologise over the way police investigated allegations against Lord Bramall, a former head of the armed forces, and the late Lord Brittan, a former home secretary. | Hogan-Howe is currently under pressure to apologise over the way police investigated allegations against Lord Bramall, a former head of the armed forces, and the late Lord Brittan, a former home secretary. |
| Related: Police child abuse inquiries: Operation Yewtree to Operation Midland | Related: Police child abuse inquiries: Operation Yewtree to Operation Midland |
| With his contract up for renewal in September, Hogan-Howe is expected to admit mistakes in the VIP paedophile ring investigation known as Operation Midland, which is expected to be formally wound up within weeks. | With his contract up for renewal in September, Hogan-Howe is expected to admit mistakes in the VIP paedophile ring investigation known as Operation Midland, which is expected to be formally wound up within weeks. |
| Asked by the Guardian whether Hogan-Howe should have his contract renewed, the prime minister said: “It’s a matter for the mayor of London and the police authority. But I work very well with Bernard Hogan-Howe. I think the steps he has taken recently to make sure there are armed police on the street to deal with terrorism are absolutely right and I will continue to work with him.” | Asked by the Guardian whether Hogan-Howe should have his contract renewed, the prime minister said: “It’s a matter for the mayor of London and the police authority. But I work very well with Bernard Hogan-Howe. I think the steps he has taken recently to make sure there are armed police on the street to deal with terrorism are absolutely right and I will continue to work with him.” |
| Boris Johnson, the London mayor, is thought to have recommended a one-year extension of the Met chief’s contract rather than a three-year one, but the final decision will be made by May. | Boris Johnson, the London mayor, is thought to have recommended a one-year extension of the Met chief’s contract rather than a three-year one, but the final decision will be made by May. |
| It is understood Sadiq Khan, Labour’s candidate to be the next London mayor, is anxious that any re-appointment or replacement of London’s top police chief should not completed before the mayoral election in May. | It is understood Sadiq Khan, Labour’s candidate to be the next London mayor, is anxious that any re-appointment or replacement of London’s top police chief should not completed before the mayoral election in May. |
| A source in the Khan camp said he was pushing for the leading mayoral candidates to be consulted about the decision. Zac Goldsmith, the Conservative candidate, has said he is a big fan of the commissioner and has “every confidence” in his abilities. | A source in the Khan camp said he was pushing for the leading mayoral candidates to be consulted about the decision. Zac Goldsmith, the Conservative candidate, has said he is a big fan of the commissioner and has “every confidence” in his abilities. |
| Earlier, Tim Loughton, a Conservative former children’s minister, was one of those to call on Hogan-Howe to apologise for leaving Bramall and Brittan to “hang out to dry” over allegations of child abuse. | Earlier, Tim Loughton, a Conservative former children’s minister, was one of those to call on Hogan-Howe to apologise for leaving Bramall and Brittan to “hang out to dry” over allegations of child abuse. |
| Loughton said it was right for the police to have investigated but he said the men were denied justice when it became clear there were no grounds on which to proceed. | Loughton said it was right for the police to have investigated but he said the men were denied justice when it became clear there were no grounds on which to proceed. |
| Bramall, a decorated D-Day veteran, was told last month that he would face no further investigation, a year after he was interviewed by officers about allegations made by a witness known as “Nick” who said he had been abused as a child. | Bramall, a decorated D-Day veteran, was told last month that he would face no further investigation, a year after he was interviewed by officers about allegations made by a witness known as “Nick” who said he had been abused as a child. |
| Brittan died in January 2015, aged 75, not knowing that four months earlier police had concluded there was no case to answer. His widow, Diana, was informed in October 2015. | Brittan died in January 2015, aged 75, not knowing that four months earlier police had concluded there was no case to answer. His widow, Diana, was informed in October 2015. |
| Loughton told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday: “This year the police will be looking at something like 70,000 cases of historical child sexual abuse and yet an awful lot of time and resources have been focused on two high-profile cases that should have been investigated, quite rightly. | Loughton told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday: “This year the police will be looking at something like 70,000 cases of historical child sexual abuse and yet an awful lot of time and resources have been focused on two high-profile cases that should have been investigated, quite rightly. |
| “But clearly there were not grounds to proceed and clearly justice was not given to these two people who were effectively left to hang out to dry. That is why the Met owe an apology.” | “But clearly there were not grounds to proceed and clearly justice was not given to these two people who were effectively left to hang out to dry. That is why the Met owe an apology.” |
| Related: Leon Brittan rape investigation 'fully justified', say police | Related: Leon Brittan rape investigation 'fully justified', say police |
| Norman Lamont, the former chancellor who was an old friend of Brittan from their time at Cambridge University in the 60s, also called for the Met to say sorry. “I think personally he [Hogan-Howe] has got to apologise … People are rightly saying that Lord Bramall is owed an apology.” | |
| Lord Lamont said Brittan would have acknowledged that it was right for police to investigate such serious allegations. But he suggested the police lost perspective in light of the failure to investigate allegations against the late Jimmy Savile. | Lord Lamont said Brittan would have acknowledged that it was right for police to investigate such serious allegations. But he suggested the police lost perspective in light of the failure to investigate allegations against the late Jimmy Savile. |
| “No one is saying everything is fine, no one is saying for one minute that this shouldn’t be investigated. I know Lord Brittan well enough to know he would say it should be investigated. But the question is: was this investigated in the way any other case would be investigated or was it in the post-Savile world pursued with vigour that got it all out of proportion.” | “No one is saying everything is fine, no one is saying for one minute that this shouldn’t be investigated. I know Lord Brittan well enough to know he would say it should be investigated. But the question is: was this investigated in the way any other case would be investigated or was it in the post-Savile world pursued with vigour that got it all out of proportion.” |
| A review of a separate allegation that Brittan raped a 19-year-old female student in his central London flat in 1967 has concluded that the police investigation was “necessary, proportionate and fully justified”. | A review of a separate allegation that Brittan raped a 19-year-old female student in his central London flat in 1967 has concluded that the police investigation was “necessary, proportionate and fully justified”. |
| The review of the Metropolitan police’s handling of the rape allegation concluded that “any reasonable investigator could properly conclude that the allegations made by the complainant were far from fanciful and continued to be proportionate and justified”. | The review of the Metropolitan police’s handling of the rape allegation concluded that “any reasonable investigator could properly conclude that the allegations made by the complainant were far from fanciful and continued to be proportionate and justified”. |
| It described the investigators as “skilful” and said they pursued “appropriate lines of inquiry from the complainant’s account and obtained credible evidence”, but added that the case was more “likely to lead to acquittal than conviction”. | It described the investigators as “skilful” and said they pursued “appropriate lines of inquiry from the complainant’s account and obtained credible evidence”, but added that the case was more “likely to lead to acquittal than conviction”. |
| The complainant provided “a fairly compelling account of events” and was a “competent witness” who displayed “no malice in her motivation”, the report concluded. | The complainant provided “a fairly compelling account of events” and was a “competent witness” who displayed “no malice in her motivation”, the report concluded. |