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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Splits emerge in police federations over plebgate PR campaign | Splits emerge in police federations over plebgate PR campaign |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Behind the campaigning voice of the more outspoken police federations in the country is the hand of the shock jock and former Sun columnist Jon Gaunt. For the past year, his PR company, Gaunt Brothers, has been pitching with some success for work from the organisations for rank-and-file coppers. | Behind the campaigning voice of the more outspoken police federations in the country is the hand of the shock jock and former Sun columnist Jon Gaunt. For the past year, his PR company, Gaunt Brothers, has been pitching with some success for work from the organisations for rank-and-file coppers. |
| As the Police Federation, which represents 124,000 rank-and-file officers in England and Wales, becomes embroiled in accusations of conspiracy, fabrication of evidence and a political agenda against the Conservatives in government, splits within it are becoming apparent. The national federation is distancing itself from what it sees as the more outspoken comments of federations in the West Midlands, Warwickshire and West Mercia over the Andrew Mitchell affair. | As the Police Federation, which represents 124,000 rank-and-file officers in England and Wales, becomes embroiled in accusations of conspiracy, fabrication of evidence and a political agenda against the Conservatives in government, splits within it are becoming apparent. The national federation is distancing itself from what it sees as the more outspoken comments of federations in the West Midlands, Warwickshire and West Mercia over the Andrew Mitchell affair. |
| It was these federations that printed "PC Pleb" T-shirts and exploited the Mitchell altercation with Downing Street officers to fuel anger over police service cuts. They held a meeting with Mitchell at the Tory party conference in Birmingham and emerged to tell the clamouring media waiting outside that he needed to consider his position. | It was these federations that printed "PC Pleb" T-shirts and exploited the Mitchell altercation with Downing Street officers to fuel anger over police service cuts. They held a meeting with Mitchell at the Tory party conference in Birmingham and emerged to tell the clamouring media waiting outside that he needed to consider his position. |
| Ken Mackaill, chair of the West Mercia federation, said Mitchell had apologised for his comment and repeated a denial of key elements but would not say exactly what he had said to the officers. | Ken Mackaill, chair of the West Mercia federation, said Mitchell had apologised for his comment and repeated a denial of key elements but would not say exactly what he had said to the officers. |
| Gaunt defends his role in the linking of Mitchell to the campaign against police cuts, which came to a head in the Birmingham meeting. An experienced journalist and PR, he saw an opportunity to exploit the presence of the Tories in Birmingham in October and the behaviour of what rank-and-file officers viewed as elitism in Mitchell's behaviour towards officers in Downing Street. | Gaunt defends his role in the linking of Mitchell to the campaign against police cuts, which came to a head in the Birmingham meeting. An experienced journalist and PR, he saw an opportunity to exploit the presence of the Tories in Birmingham in October and the behaviour of what rank-and-file officers viewed as elitism in Mitchell's behaviour towards officers in Downing Street. |
| Many officers see in Gaunt as a champion of their rights. The son of a police officer, Gaunt is hailed as "the monster who roars for coppers" on the website of the Metropolitan police federation. But as the fallout from plebgate brings relations between the police and the Conservatives to crisis point, he is being mentioned by some in the federation as the man responsible. | Many officers see in Gaunt as a champion of their rights. The son of a police officer, Gaunt is hailed as "the monster who roars for coppers" on the website of the Metropolitan police federation. But as the fallout from plebgate brings relations between the police and the Conservatives to crisis point, he is being mentioned by some in the federation as the man responsible. |
| A substantial number of officers feel the national federation has not supported them over the past year when the battle against the government's reforms has reached a peak. | A substantial number of officers feel the national federation has not supported them over the past year when the battle against the government's reforms has reached a peak. |
| The national federation will not comment. But it is known that senior figures within it are angered at the way the Mitchell affair has re-emerged in such a damaging way. They cannot understand why the Metropolitan police did not carry out an investigation into the incident straight after it happened. They believe that if the officers had been interviewed at the time, and the CCTV viewed, the service would now be in a stronger position to defend itself. | The national federation will not comment. But it is known that senior figures within it are angered at the way the Mitchell affair has re-emerged in such a damaging way. They cannot understand why the Metropolitan police did not carry out an investigation into the incident straight after it happened. They believe that if the officers had been interviewed at the time, and the CCTV viewed, the service would now be in a stronger position to defend itself. |
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