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| Plebgate: PM says police owe Andrew Mitchell apology | Plebgate: PM says police owe Andrew Mitchell apology |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Andrew Mitchell is "owed an apology" by police over the "plebgate" row, Prime Minister David Cameron has said. | Andrew Mitchell is "owed an apology" by police over the "plebgate" row, Prime Minister David Cameron has said. |
| Mr Cameron told the Commons the conduct of three officers from the Police Federation towards the former minister was "not acceptable". | Mr Cameron told the Commons the conduct of three officers from the Police Federation towards the former minister was "not acceptable". |
| Three police chiefs have been criticised for their decision not to discipline the officers over their account of a meeting with Mr Mitchell. | Three police chiefs have been criticised for their decision not to discipline the officers over their account of a meeting with Mr Mitchell. |
| The police chiefs will appear before a committee of MPs next week. | The police chiefs will appear before a committee of MPs next week. |
| Home Affairs Select Committee chairman Keith Vaz said they had questions to answer. | Home Affairs Select Committee chairman Keith Vaz said they had questions to answer. |
| On Tuesday, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said the officers should have faced misconduct hearings for misrepresenting what former chief whip Mr Mitchell said in a private meeting last October about a row at the gates of Downing Street the month before. | On Tuesday, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said the officers should have faced misconduct hearings for misrepresenting what former chief whip Mr Mitchell said in a private meeting last October about a row at the gates of Downing Street the month before. |
| Mr Mitchell had been accused of describing policemen at Downing Street as "plebs" after they refused to let him through the gates with his bicycle. | Mr Mitchell had been accused of describing policemen at Downing Street as "plebs" after they refused to let him through the gates with his bicycle. |
| As the row between the then-cabinet minister and the police intensified, Mr Mitchell met Insp Ken MacKaill, of West Mercia Police, Det Sgt Stuart Hinton, of Warwickshire Police, and Sgt Chris Jones, of West Midlands Police - acting on behalf of the Police Federation which represents rank-and-file officers - at his constituency office in Sutton Coldfield. | |
| Speaking after the meeting, Insp MacKaill claimed the ex-chief whip would not provide an account of the incident and called for his resignation. | |
| Mr Mitchell recorded the meeting and a transcript issued by the IPCC showed that he had spoken at length about what happened, and, while he admitted swearing, had denied using the word "pleb" or insulting the police. | |
| It also showed that during that meeting, the Federation representatives said the integrity of their Metropolitan Police colleagues was "no longer intact". | It also showed that during that meeting, the Federation representatives said the integrity of their Metropolitan Police colleagues was "no longer intact". |
| 'Better redress' | |
| After an internal investigation into their account of the meeting, the chief constables of West Mercia, Warwickshire and West Midlands Police concluded there was no case to answer for misconduct. | After an internal investigation into their account of the meeting, the chief constables of West Mercia, Warwickshire and West Midlands Police concluded there was no case to answer for misconduct. |
| But speaking at Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, Mr Cameron said Mr Mitchell was "owed an apology - the conduct of these officers was not acceptable", and "these things should be properly investigated". | |
| Home Secretary Theresa May has said the IPCC's report "made troubling reading". Meanwhile, the Crown Prosecution Service is deciding if charges should be brought against police officers involved in the original row in Downing Street. | |
| Addressing MPs, Mr Cameron said: "I agree 100% with what the Home Secretary said... | |
| "What's being discussed here is the fact that ... the former chief whip had a meeting with Police Federation officers in his committee... | |
| "Fortunately this meeting was recorded, so he has been able to prove that what he said was true and what the police officers said was untrue." | |
| Mr Cameron said it was right for the select committee to "discuss this with the chief constables concerned and try to get to the bottom of why better redress has not been given". | |
| A spokesman for Number 10 said: "Incidents such as this do bring people to question their trust in the police." | A spokesman for Number 10 said: "Incidents such as this do bring people to question their trust in the police." |
| But he went on to stress that the majority of officers "operate to the highest standards and do a very dangerous job on behalf of the public". | But he went on to stress that the majority of officers "operate to the highest standards and do a very dangerous job on behalf of the public". |
| Dame Anne Owers and Deborah Glass, IPCC chairwoman and deputy chairwoman respectively, and Police Federation chairman Steve Williams have also been asked to appear before the select committee on 23 October. | |
| In a statement on Tuesday, the three chief constables said they welcomed the opportunity to speak. | |
| The decisions following the investigation had been "carefully considered", they said. | |
| They added the IPCC had chosen not to exercise powers that would have allowed it to order the three forces to hold misconduct proceedings. |