Plebate: Mitchell Complains To Ipcc Over 'leak'

[Gromit]

// Andrew Mitchell, the former chief whip, has issued a formal complaint over the apparent leaking of the police report into the “plebgate” row which forced him to resign from the government.

In a letter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) an angry Mr Mitchell claimed the partial leaking of information had been “spun” to the advantage of officers involved in the case.
“This was an enquiry into a dishonest and illicit attempt to blacken my name and destroy my career,” he wrote. “It would appear that the police enquiry continues precisely that process.”

Michael Howard, the former Conservative leader, said: “Police reports to the CPS should not be in the public domain. If this report was leaked by the police, I think it is deplorable.”
Mr Howard said that there was a likelihood “on the face of it” that police had leaked parts of the report. //

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9962996/URGENT-PIC-AND-PUBLISH-Andrew-Mitchell-complains-to-IPPC-over-plebgate-leak.html

This just gets murkier and murkier.

- The original Police log was leaked. It contained inacurancies (lies).
- The Police Federation representative who met with Mitchell then came out of the meeting and misrepresented the facts (he lied).
- A witness purporting to be a member of the public was in fact a serving officer who had witnessed nothing (he was lying).
- Correspondence between the Met Police and the CPS is suddenly leaked allegedly supporting the police version of events (though we already know it is inaccurate).

What do we have?
A conspiracy?
A police force unable to tell the truth?
A toff with a persecution complex?

[douglas9401]

All of the above.

[emmie]

the police lying, not good for their somewhat tarnished image, must do better.

[naomi24]

//What do we have? //

A complete waste of time and money - and all because someone called someone else a pleb - allegedly. Sheesh!!!

[ummmm]

It's pathetic. Even if he did call them plebs I would hope our police force had thicker skins than that. Primary school stuff!

[Hymie]

My prediction as to how this will pan-out is that Michell will win an out of court settlement from the Sun newspaper and a few police officers will be reprimanded (not sacked or demoted) for their conduct – as the police close ranks.

Gone are the days when the Sun (or anyone else) could rely on the police for kosher inside information that would win them a libel case (Gillian Taylforth etc).

[grumpy01]

If Andrew Mitchell is innocent of any derogatory remarks then I hope he takes the Met and the Sun to the cleaners.

[Gromit]

// A complete waste of time and money - and all because someone called someone else a pleb - allegedly. Sheesh!!! //

That is one interpretation. Another is, a co-ordinated effort to remove a government minister from office with a made up story and a tangle of lies.

I could be wrong, but Mitchell seems very cross about this and it is not about money. I doubt he will settle for an out of court settlement if that conceals the truth.

[modeller]

Whatever the truth, Andrew Mithchell is said by some of his colleagues to act like an arrogant public school boy. It is noticable that not many have come to his defence even Cameron is stting on the fence.
As to the word 'pleb' I believe the constable . I doubt if he would have ever heard the word before. Not many have. I knew the word plebian but never heard it used, in any form, and even if he didn't use it he admits swearing at the police , which is unacceptabe from a minister.

[douglas9401]

Hope he's not overplaying his hand and heading for a Jonathan Aitken moment.