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| Public inquiry to scrutinise claims that police covertly monitored politicians | |
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| The question of whether police spied on elected politicians could turn out to be one of the major issues that will be examined by the public inquiry into undercover policing. | The question of whether police spied on elected politicians could turn out to be one of the major issues that will be examined by the public inquiry into undercover policing. |
| The inquiry is led by a senior judge, Lord Justice Pitchford, who has been given the task of scrutinising the infiltration of political groups by police spies since 1968. | The inquiry is led by a senior judge, Lord Justice Pitchford, who has been given the task of scrutinising the infiltration of political groups by police spies since 1968. |
| Pitchford has said that examining whether undercover police operations were directed at politicians was an important matter for his inquiry. | Pitchford has said that examining whether undercover police operations were directed at politicians was an important matter for his inquiry. |
| Claims that politicians were monitored is one strand of his inquiry which was set up by home secretary Theresa May after a series of revelations. | Claims that politicians were monitored is one strand of his inquiry which was set up by home secretary Theresa May after a series of revelations. |
| It has been revealed, for instance, that undercover officers frequently deceived women into forming long-term relationships and gathered intelligence about campaigns run by grieving families. | It has been revealed, for instance, that undercover officers frequently deceived women into forming long-term relationships and gathered intelligence about campaigns run by grieving families. |
| The inquiry is preparing to take evidence in public - probably later this year - about the conduct of the spies. (See this and this for more background about the inquiry). | The inquiry is preparing to take evidence in public - probably later this year - about the conduct of the spies. (See this and this for more background about the inquiry). |
| Last year, a whistleblower named 10 politicians who he said had been monitored by police after they had been elected to parliament. | Last year, a whistleblower named 10 politicians who he said had been monitored by police after they had been elected to parliament. |
| Four politicians have so far become part of the inquiry so that they can pursue the question of whether they were spied on by the police. | Four politicians have so far become part of the inquiry so that they can pursue the question of whether they were spied on by the police. |
| They are Labour front-bencher Diane Abbott, former London mayor Ken Livingstone, and former Labour MPs Joan Ruddock and Dave Nellist. | They are Labour front-bencher Diane Abbott, former London mayor Ken Livingstone, and former Labour MPs Joan Ruddock and Dave Nellist. |
| The quartet have been given central roles in the inquiry. In technical terms, Pitchford has designated the politicians “core participants” in his inquiry. This means that they are, for instance, given access to evidence, can make statements in the hearings, have their lawyer examine witnesses and can have their legal costs paid. | The quartet have been given central roles in the inquiry. In technical terms, Pitchford has designated the politicians “core participants” in his inquiry. This means that they are, for instance, given access to evidence, can make statements in the hearings, have their lawyer examine witnesses and can have their legal costs paid. |
| In recent months, Pitchford has published a number of rulings designating more than 200 individuals as “core participants” in the inquiry. | In recent months, Pitchford has published a number of rulings designating more than 200 individuals as “core participants” in the inquiry. |
| In one ruling (here), Pitchford said Abbott, who became the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington in London in 1987, has been an anti-racism campaigner since the 1970s and supported the justice campaigns mounted by the families of Blair Peach and Stephen Lawrence. | In one ruling (here), Pitchford said Abbott, who became the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington in London in 1987, has been an anti-racism campaigner since the 1970s and supported the justice campaigns mounted by the families of Blair Peach and Stephen Lawrence. |
| In the same ruling, Pitchford noted that Ruddock had been a “campaigner for peace, environmental and social justice issues for many years.” A former government minister, she was elected to parliament in 1987 and stood down at the last general election. | In the same ruling, Pitchford noted that Ruddock had been a “campaigner for peace, environmental and social justice issues for many years.” A former government minister, she was elected to parliament in 1987 and stood down at the last general election. |
| Pitchford also noted that a former MI5 officer had claimed that Ruddock had been put under surveillance by the police in the 1980s when she had been a leader of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). (Go here to a website known as the Special Branch Files Project to see how the police monitored CND in that decade). | Pitchford also noted that a former MI5 officer had claimed that Ruddock had been put under surveillance by the police in the 1980s when she had been a leader of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). (Go here to a website known as the Special Branch Files Project to see how the police monitored CND in that decade). |
| Livingstone, the former Labour MP and London mayor, was granted the status of “core participant” by Pitchford in November. That ruling can be found here. | Livingstone, the former Labour MP and London mayor, was granted the status of “core participant” by Pitchford in November. That ruling can be found here. |
| The latest politician to become part of the inquiry is Nellist, who was a Labour MP between 1983 and 1992. In his ruling (here), Pitchford notes claims from an anonymous police officer that police monitored Nellist while he was in parliament because he was a supporter of the left-wing group, Militant. See here and here for more details of these claims. | The latest politician to become part of the inquiry is Nellist, who was a Labour MP between 1983 and 1992. In his ruling (here), Pitchford notes claims from an anonymous police officer that police monitored Nellist while he was in parliament because he was a supporter of the left-wing group, Militant. See here and here for more details of these claims. |
| Nellist told the Guardian :“Sending police spies to infiltrate trade unions, peace and anti-racist campaigns, and MPs’ lives, smacks of east of the Iron Curtain, not a supposedly democratic Britain. | Nellist told the Guardian :“Sending police spies to infiltrate trade unions, peace and anti-racist campaigns, and MPs’ lives, smacks of east of the Iron Curtain, not a supposedly democratic Britain. |
| “I want to know what possible justification the police thought they had to spy on me, and what guarantees we have that if they kept it secret in the 1980s, it isn’t still going on today”. | “I want to know what possible justification the police thought they had to spy on me, and what guarantees we have that if they kept it secret in the 1980s, it isn’t still going on today”. |
| Sharon Grant, the widow of former Labour MP Bernie Grant, has also been made a “core participant” at the inquiry. | Sharon Grant, the widow of former Labour MP Bernie Grant, has also been made a “core participant” at the inquiry. |
| Allegations about the monitoring of politicians were made public last year by Peter Francis, a whistleblower who once worked for the undercover police unit, the Special Demonstration Squad. | Allegations about the monitoring of politicians were made public last year by Peter Francis, a whistleblower who once worked for the undercover police unit, the Special Demonstration Squad. |
| One of the 10 politicians he named as having been monitored by the police in the 1990s was Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. For details of his revelations, see this and this. | One of the 10 politicians he named as having been monitored by the police in the 1990s was Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. For details of his revelations, see this and this. |
| It remains to be seen whether other politicians will seek to become part of the inquiry. | It remains to be seen whether other politicians will seek to become part of the inquiry. |