This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/sep/23/andrew-mitchell-police-quotes-newspapers
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Andrew Mitchell's changing tune: the papers quote his alleged police tirade | Andrew Mitchell's changing tune: the papers quote his alleged police tirade |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Thursday 20 September | Thursday 20 September |
| Government chief whip Andrew Mitchell issues a statement in response to the Sun's report saying that although he did not treat the police "with the respect they deserve", he did not use "any" of the reported words. "On Wednesday night I attempted to leave Downing Street via the main gate, something I have been allowed to do many times before," he says. "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. I have seen the supervising sergeant and apologised, and will also apologise to the police officer involved." | |
| Friday 21 September | Friday 21 September |
| Friends of Mitchell brief newspapers, including the Telegraph, saying the chief whip specifically did not use the words "plebs" or "morons". They also insist that, as a former shadow policing minister, he has a "deep respect" for officers. An unnamed friend tells the Times: "He does accept he used language that he immediately regretted. He doesn't want to contest the version of events given by the police – in the heat of the moment, people remember different things. But those words are just not something he would say." | Friends of Mitchell brief newspapers, including the Telegraph, saying the chief whip specifically did not use the words "plebs" or "morons". They also insist that, as a former shadow policing minister, he has a "deep respect" for officers. An unnamed friend tells the Times: "He does accept he used language that he immediately regretted. He doesn't want to contest the version of events given by the police – in the heat of the moment, people remember different things. But those words are just not something he would say." |
| Sunday 23 September | Sunday 23 September |
| Mitchell's own version of events, according to the Sunday Telegraph, is that he asked police officers to open the main gate to Downing Street, calling out: "Look, I'm the chief whip; I work at No 9 [Downing Street]." Upon being refused, the paper claims he "muttered": "You guys are supposed to fucking help us." The paper quotes a "friend" of Mitchell as saying that he did not swear directly at the police officers. "He does not dispute he lost it a bit. It was in frustration at the episode and not aimed directly at the officers … He is absolutely not accusing anyone of lying. He realises there may be differing versions of what was said but he is adamant he did not use the words he is reported to have used." | |