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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Chief whip Andrew Mitchell apologises to police | Chief whip Andrew Mitchell apologises to police |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Government chief whip Andrew Mitchell has apologised for disrespectful remarks to police who made him get off his bicycle as he left Downing Street. | Government chief whip Andrew Mitchell has apologised for disrespectful remarks to police who made him get off his bicycle as he left Downing Street. |
| "I accept I did not treat the police with the respect they deserve," he said. The Conservative MP denied claims href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/" >in the Sun that he had sworn and called the officers "plebs". | |
| A No 10 spokesperson said the prime minister welcomed news of the apology. | A No 10 spokesperson said the prime minister welcomed news of the apology. |
| The Metropolitan Police said it had not made a complaint against Mr Mitchell. | The Metropolitan Police said it had not made a complaint against Mr Mitchell. |
| His outburst came after armed police turned Mr Mitchell away from the main Downing Street gate, instead directing him to the smaller pedestrian gate. | His outburst came after armed police turned Mr Mitchell away from the main Downing Street gate, instead directing him to the smaller pedestrian gate. |
| He is reported to have used foul language and told the officer at the gates to "learn your place" and "you don't run this government". The officer concerned reported the incident to his superiors. | |
| The MP for Sutton Coldfield said in a statement: "On Wednesday night I attempted to leave Downing Street via the main gate, something I have been allowed to do many times before. I was told that I was not allowed to leave that way. | The MP for Sutton Coldfield said in a statement: "On Wednesday night I attempted to leave Downing Street via the main gate, something I have been allowed to do many times before. I was told that I was not allowed to leave that way. |
| "While I do not accept that I used any of the words that have been reported, I accept I did not treat the police with the respect they deserve. | "While I do not accept that I used any of the words that have been reported, I accept I did not treat the police with the respect they deserve. |
| "I have seen the supervising sergeant and apologised, and will also apologise to the police officer involved." | "I have seen the supervising sergeant and apologised, and will also apologise to the police officer involved." |
| 'Stern disciplinarian' | |
| The Downing Street spokesperson said: "The prime minister is aware there was an incident. He is glad that Andrew Mitchell has apologised. | The Downing Street spokesperson said: "The prime minister is aware there was an incident. He is glad that Andrew Mitchell has apologised. |
| "He thinks the police should always be treated with the respect they deserve." | "He thinks the police should always be treated with the respect they deserve." |
| A Metropolitan Police spokesman said that the force had not made a formal complaint about Wednesday's incident. | |
| Responding on Twitter to reports of Mr Mitchell's comments, shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said: "Some of these Tories are foul mouthed spoilt little brats and now one caught." | |
| Mr Mitchell, a former soldier, was moved from the position of international development secretary in David Cameron's first major reshuffle earlier this month. | Mr Mitchell, a former soldier, was moved from the position of international development secretary in David Cameron's first major reshuffle earlier this month. |
| Now Conservative chief whip, he is in charge of party discipline and keeping rebel backbenchers in line. | |
| A self-confessed "stern disciplinarian", who was reportedly nicknamed "Thrasher" at school, Mr Mitchell was a minister for social security between 1995 and 1997 before losing his seat in Tony Blair's landslide Labour victory. | |
| He subsequently became a director of investment bank Lazard Brothers, a role he retained until 2009. | |
| He returned to the Commons at the 2001 election and was made a minister after the 2010 general election. | |
| The married father-of-two, whose father Sir David Mitchell was a Conservative minister under Margaret Thatcher, served as a UN peacekeeper in Cyprus in the 1970s. |