Suella Braverman criticised by her own review into ‘woke’ policing
Police chiefs have accused senior politicians of regularly trying to “interfere or influence” their operations.
In a letter to Home Secretary James Cleverly, Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke said most senior officers in 12 forces have experienced “improper pressure or interference from significant political figures, whether through direct contact or through the media”.
The 12 forces, in England and Wales, were visited as part of a review of activism and impartiality in the police commissioned by previous home secretary Suella Braverman, in what was cast as a war on “woke” policing.
Politics Live: Suella Braverman’s war on ‘woke’ policing criticised by her own review
The ordering of the review itself was given as an example of such political interference.
Mr Cooke said: “One of the most consistent themes in the evidence we have obtained so far is the extent to which senior national political figures directly or indirectly influence, or attempt to influence, police operations.
“Senior police leaders told us that when this takes place in public, it makes it harder to maintain an appearance of impartiality.
“Most senior officers told us that they experience what they believe to be improper pressure or interference from significant political figures, whether through direct contact or through the media.”
He added: “Many cited this commission and the associated correspondence as one example of this.”
When Ms Braverman ordered the review, she claimed public confidence in police was being damaged by things like officers taking the knee, and that she was concerned about police “pandering to politically correct causes”.
In the review’s findings, it was claimed that an unnamed MP told their local force that a more senior politician would get involved if certain action was not taken.
Mr Cooke said that while MPs are “perfectly entitled to make representations about issues affecting their constituents”, they “shouldn’t seek to interfere with the operational independence of the police”.
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“In one example, we were told of an MP implying that a more senior political figure would become involved if a particular action was not taken.”
He said many officers have come to believe that operational activities on matters like protest policing and stop and search operations “are directly or indirectly influenced by the views of the police and crime commissioner or mayor, or senior figures in government”.
A row broke out last year over the influence of politicians on the police after Mrs Braverman and Rishi Sunak were involved in a stand-off with Britain’s most senior officer over whether to ban pro-Palestinian protests in London on Remembrance weekend.
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Suella Braverman’s long list of controversies
Some Conservative MPs were furious by Ms Braverman’s incendiary article in The Times last November in which she accused the Met Police of bias towards left-wing protesters, accusing her of undermining public confidence in law enforcement and eroding trust in Britain’s system of democracy.
The comments marked the beginning of the end of her time as home secretary, and Mr Cleverly has sought to calm relations with the police since taking over the role.
In his letter, Mr Cooke said there needs to be a greater understanding of rules that enshrine the operational independence of the police, and what the term means.
The principle that police officers are operationally independent of government dates back nearly 1,000 years to the Statute of Westminster of 1285.
HMICFRS inspectors carried out work in 12 police forces: Cheshire, Dorset, Dyfed-Powys, Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Metropolitan, Northumbria, Sussex, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.
It is due to publish its full report later in the year.
Politics
Shouts of ‘genocide’ in Commons as David Lammy denounces Israel’s ‘intolerable’ actions in Gaza
The foreign secretary has denounced Israel’s actions in Gaza as “intolerable” but stopped short of saying it had committed genocide.
MPs could be heard shouting “genocide” in the Commons chamber as David Lammy announced the government was suspending its trade negotiations with Israel and summoning Tzipi Hotovely, Israel’s ambassador to the UK, to the Foreign Office.
The UK has also sanctioned a number of individuals and groups in the West Bank which it says have been linked with acts of violence against Palestinians – including Daniella Weiss, a leading settler activist who was the subject of Louis Theroux’s recent documentary The Settlers.
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Israel immediately criticised the UK government actions as “regrettable” and said the free trade agreement talks, which ministers have now backed out of, were “not being advanced at all by the UK government”.
Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for the Israeli foreign affairs ministry, said: “If, due to anti-Israel obsession and domestic political considerations, the British government is willing to harm the British economy – that is its own prerogative.”
Mr Lammy’s intervention came in response to Israel ramping up its latest military offensive in Gaza and its decision to limit the amount of aid into the enclave.
Tom Fletcher, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, accused Israel of “deliberately and unashamedly” imposing inhumane conditions on Palestinians by blocking aid from entering Gaza more than 10 weeks ago.
He also told the UN’s security council last week that it must “act now” to “prevent genocide” – a claim that Israel has vehemently denied.
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Speaking in the Commons, the foreign secretary said the threat of starvation was “hanging over hundreds of thousands of civilians” and that the 11-week blockade stopping humanitarian aid reaching Gaza was “indefensible and cruel”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to allow a limited amount of aid into the besieged enclave in response to global concern at reports of famine.
Mr Lammy said Mr Netanyahu’s govenrment was “isolating Israel from its friends and partners around the world, undermining the interests of the Israeli people and damaging the image of the state of Israel in the eyes of the world”.
“We are now entering a dark new phase in this conflict,” Mr Lammy added.
“Netanyahu’s government is planning to drive Gazans from their homes into a corner of the strip to the south and permit them a fraction of the aid that they need.”
Referring to one of the far-right ministers in Mr Netanyahu’s government, he said Bezalel Smotrich “even spoke of Israeli forces cleansing Gaza, destroying what’s left of residents, Palestinians being relocated, he said, to third countries”.
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Surgeon compares Gaza to ‘killing fields’
MPs from across the house shouted “genocide” as Mr Lammy said: “We must call this what it is. It is extremism. It is dangerous. It is repellent. It is monstrous and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms.”
In the Commons, a number of Labour MPs urged the government to go further against Israel.
Yasmin Qureshi, the Labour MP for Bolton South and Walkden, said there needed to be a “full arms embargo” and said: “Can I ask the foreign secretary what additional steps he’s going to be taking in order to stave off this genocide?”
Another Labour MP told Sky News that while the statement was “better than previously…without a concrete timeline and a sanctioning of responsible ministers, it’s hard to know what tangible difference it will make.”
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Israeli officials have said its plans to seize all of Gaza and hold it indefinitely. – which would move the civilian population southward – will help it achieve its aim of defeating Hamas.
Israel also believes the offensive will prevent Hamas from looting and distributing humanitarian aid, which it says strengthens the group’s rule in Gaza.
Mr Netanyahu has defended Israel’s actions in Gaza and reacted angrily to a joint statement penned by the leaders of the UK, France and Canada, in which they urged Israel to end its military offensive in Gaza and lift restrictions on humanitarian aid allowed into the enclave.
The Israeli prime minister said: “By asking Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities.
“No nation can be expected to accept anything less and Israel certainly won’t. This is a war of civilisation over barbarism. Israel will continue to defend itself by just means until total victory is achieved.”
US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Paul Atkins appeared before lawmakers in one of his first hearings since becoming chair of the financial regulator, addressing questions about his plans for the cryptocurrency industry.
In a May 20 hearing discussing oversight of the SEC, Atkins reiterated his pledge to make regulating digital assets a “key priority” while chair. In response to questions from North Carolina Representative Chuck Edwards, the SEC chair did not directly answer how much of the regulator’s funds were used to support the crypto task force headed by Commissioner Hester Peirce, and said its findings were “still under development.”
“We should be having something here in the next few months with proposed steps forward,” said Atkins in response to the task force’s first report.
The SEC chair’s appearance at the oversight hearing was one of his first since being sworn into office in April. Nominated by Donald Trump, Atkins, also a former commissioner, was seen by many lawmakers and those in the digital asset industry as someone who could radically change the SEC’s approach to crypto.
Looking to Congress for help with regulatory clarity
Atkins’ remarks came less than 24 hours after US Senators voted to move forward on consideration of a bill to regulate stablecoins, the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act, or GENIUS Act. The bill is one of many related to aspects of digital assets that could affect how the SEC regulates the industry alongside agencies like the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
“Whatever happens in Congress […] that will help undergird what we do,” said Atkins.
Related: Paul Atkins: ‘Crypto markets have been languishing in SEC limbo’
Since being sworn into office in April, the SEC chair has given opening remarks and overseen the commission’s roundtable events on digital assets. The next event, scheduled for June 9, will have SEC commissioners and industry leaders discuss issues related to decentralized finance.
Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered
Politics
Suspension of trade talks a political signal that Israeli leadership is increasingly isolated
The UK has suspended trade talks with Israel, in protest at what David Lammy called the “intolerable” conditions in Gaza, which he said would leave the population at risk of starvation.
This is, the foreign office confirms, a UK first, in suspending trade talks for a political or humanitarian reason. The Israeli ambassador in London, Tzipi Hotovely, will be summoned to the Foreign Office to deliver the message.
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This suspension, with immediate effect, is a political signal that the Israeli leadership is increasingly isolated even among its allies; and intended to ratchet up the pressure to let aid in.
It comes with a step change in the UK’s language on the humanitarian situation.
Keir Starmer on Monday night, in his joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, said there would be “concrete steps” if food and medicine continued to be held up at borders; and this is one of the levers available.
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David Lammy, announcing the move and targeted sanctions against West Bank settlers linked to violence, called it a “dark phase” in the conflict and said: “[Benjamin] Netanyahu’s actions have made this necessary.”
Trade talks were launched under Rishi Sunak’s government, and a 2030 Roadmap was agreed for boosting trade.
Gaza live: UK halts trade talks with Israel
But although the Labour government committed to continuing with it, the last round of talks was held more than a year ago.
Israel has, the UN say, not allowed trucks in for 11 weeks, after saying Hamas steal the aid intended for civilians. Some trucks entered on Tuesday, but aid agencies say it is nowhere near enough.
With the collapse of the latest talks between the two sides in Qatar last week, the ceasefire the UK is calling for looks far off.
Using economic measures to force the aid issue is likely to be a signal to other allies, including the European Union, to take similar steps.
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