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'Cowardly' Smith attacked for U-turn on police votes
Pippa Crerar, City Hall Editor18 Dec 2008
BORIS Johnson's deputy launched an extraordinary attack on Jacqui Smith today after she blamed the Mayor for her U-turn on publicly elected police authorities.
Kit Malthouse, deputy mayor for policing, accused the Home Secretary of being "out of her depth" after she pulled the plug on the plans in the face of opposition.
Mr Johnson's official spokesman said her decision had been "cowardly" and based on Labour's fear of angering the electorate.
Ms Smith withdrew her plans after protests by police leaders and Labour councils but she blamed her decision on the Mayor, saying that by ousting Sir Ian Blair as head of the Met, he had triggered fears the police would be "politicised".
Mr Malthouse told the Evening Standard: "I feel sorry for Jacqui, it's blindingly obvious that she's out of her depth. This comes on the back of her blunder over knife crime and her botched Taser announcement.
"She's looking around for anybody to blame other than herself. The truth is the Home Office is paralysed by its own weakness."
He added: "It's a bit rich to accuse us of politicising the police. It's the other way round."
Mr Johnson's official spokesman added: "People do not want politicians interfering in the operational decisions of their local force but they do want the police to be democratically accountable.
"Today's cowardly position has more to do with local Labour politicians fearing the electorate than with any genuine concern among serving police officers."
Ms Smith told the Guardian: "The Tories' behaviour has raised fears that the police were being politicised. There has been a fundamental shift in the way people think about the politicisation of the police. I put that down to the London Mayor's intervention in the resignation of Sir Ian Blair."
She said Tory plans for American-style elected police commissioners would lead to "lots of Boris Johnsons trying to run the police".
Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said the real reason for the U-turn was Labour did not want to give up the power to "micro-manage" the police by giving voters a say.
Reader views (21)
How many times does the Home Secretary have to prove her outstanding talent for for ineptitude until she is replaced. Sir Ian Blair is to blame for the lines between the Police and politics being blurred.
Boris Johnson as Mayor maybe pretty out there but so far he has been refreshingly honest and has started to deliver on his election policies. Far better this unorthodox approach rather than the spin and mistruths that constantly eminate from the government especially the Home Office. Society is slowing degenerating and all that is coming out of the home office is a 'blame culture' intending to win another term of office to drive this country further into the 3rd world.
- Peregrine Parks, London, UK, 18/12/2008 18:51
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Jacqui Smith is an authoritarian fool. She was only promoted because Brown likes to surround himself with weak ninnies (fearing the comparison if he were ever to allow talent into the Cabinet) Given the relentless series of Home Office failures it is only a matter of time before she is required to move on. Having risen without trace, her fall from public office will pass similarly un-mourned.
- Keith Mackman, Dunmow, UK, 18/12/2008 18:24
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Sir Ian Blairs career would not have been ruined if he had spent more time on police duties and less time party politicking on behalf of the Labour Party.
- Jon Dee, N Warks, 18/12/2008 17:31
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More spin from the useless New Labour government!
- Mark A, london england, 18/12/2008 16:10
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When the middle classes say we are living in a Police State,then the poloticians should take note.
Civil unrest is a strong possibility if things continue to spiral downwards in this way.
The Police will not be able to cope because they can't fight everyone.What I do not understand iss how Police Officers can support the laws and abuses of these laws. They are British to. They have children that will be growing up in a Government made civil war. Why?
Casually abusing the terror laws, taking DNA of innocent people, Council workers using the RIPA laws to investigate other civilians, the Police never being punished when they commit offenses, the list is endless and frightening.
If the Tories want victory then stand up and promise the nation that all of the Jacqui Smith, " big ides ", will be repealed.
They will sweep to victory. But a word of warning, if we are betrayed again, consider it the final betrayal. This country will go from Tinderbox to burnt out shell within 6 months.
I do not want to live in Bosnia.
When the most dangerous element of our society is the people we trust to protect us, we have a SERIOUS problem.
- R Nolan, Llandudno Wales, 18/12/2008 15:38
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I have some sympathy for the officers on the line. The problem - as always - is with mismanagement. Chief constables are picked on the basis of acceptability, this of course overlooks the capable officers' This applies in many walks of life in the UK. Knighthoods and other pointless baubles are dolled out to chief constables regardless of how they perform. A few have tried to modernize or improve and remain sans bauble. The cry is as always - "We have always done it this way"!
- William, Southampton, 18/12/2008 15:24
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The dangers of any political control of the Police cannot be overstated. From the Racial bias of Sheriffs in the deep south of the USA in the 1960's to the control of Policing by the Nazis in the 1920's Germany the only lessons of local political control of the Police are those of disaster.
The day to day running of the Police must be separate from any politician, of whatever party. I would prefer a Police service that makes mistakes to one controlled by any group of Political activists.
- Barry, Havant England, 18/12/2008 15:13
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"Ms Smith blamed opposition from senior police, which she said was fuelled in part by the 'politicisation' of policing by the Conservatives in recent months."
Firstly, what has this issue got to do with senior police officers? They are supposed to be public servants, not dictators of policy.
Secondly, it beggars belief that Jackboot Smith has tried to pin the blame for politicising the police on the Tories. NeuLiebour have stuffed the command ranks with their PC placemen and shackled the service to the whims of countless minority interest groups and left-liberal hand wringers.
The real reason for denying the right of representation to ordinary people is that NeuLiebour would lose a large controlling stake in the forces of law and order, which would make it more difficult for Smith and Brown's Politburo to politically manipulate the police.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 18/12/2008 15:02
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Jaquie Smith is easily a greater threat to the freedoms and liberties of the people of this country than any terrorist group I've ever heard of.
- James C, Newcastle, 18/12/2008 15:02
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Wacky Jacqui rides again!
- Paul Freeman, London, England, 18/12/2008 14:52
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To enforce a police state, the political control of the police has to come from the politic bureaux at number 10.
In recent years we have seen the police become more political and authoritarian, and less and less answerable to the people. So is there any surprise at Jacqui Smith’s announcement. Jacqui Smith is part of a new breed ‘the political elite’, whose belief is they are, destined to rule even if this means coming up with a new definition of democracy to get there.
The people may be told they live in a democracy, they have been brainwashed in to believing it, the reality is that the people of this country are answerable to the state controlled police.
Not forgetting it’s for your own security.
- Ian, Reading, England, 18/12/2008 12:55
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The police is already politicised, and, even more worryingly, totally corrupt.
Nothing short of a massive purge would restore their honour and our trust in the impartiality of the police force, and I don't think that Jacqui Smith has got enough character to do that.
The opposition also seems rather ineffective.
- Dis, London, UK, 18/12/2008 12:03
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The only real danger of politicisation of the police is from the increasingly cosy relationship between Home Secretaries and Commissioners of Scotland Yard. Paradoxically, this politicisation is only intensified by tit for tat internecine hostilities between government and the police such as the aborted cash for honours investigations and the aborted investigations into various faults of the former Commissioner.
- Blackstone Coke, London, 18/12/2008 11:26
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Is abandoning the public election of police authority members in the face of opposition from Labour leaders and Police leaders not a contradiction. If these two bodies feel they could be undermined, does that not in itself show how politicised the Police now are. Inspector Knacker should be held up to account, as the London Tube Shooting shows. A Jury did not believe what the Police said, yet no one is brought to account! Compare this to the zeal with which motorists are pursued for Causing death by dangerous Driving and there appears to be one law for the public and another for the police.(Both should be prosecuted)
Perhaps if the police were accountable to the public, they may gain our trust and respect. Instead they duck and dive and massage the crime figures to suit. Theft of cheque books and issue of those stolen cheques is now no longer a police matter, it is dealt by the banks, no according to my local force,no crime recorded, crime figures go down as a result. Identity theft, and obtaining goods by misrepresentation, or fraud as it used to be called,is now a civil matter, no crime recorded, crime figures go down even further. If we keep going down this route, will we need a Police force, or will traffic wardens be all that is required. It would appear that Miss Smith may have stated something that is correct in respect of the politicisation of the Police, but pinned the blame for her decision on the wrong suspects.
- Alan, Carlisle UK, 18/12/2008 11:22
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Watching a police programme on american police, with a twelve mile radious of a town,there were threee murders and three different police forces each had a murder in its district. None of the seperate police forces shared information,even though it turned out that the three murders were committed by the one man, and it was 15years before they shared information,and brought the killer to justice. Do we want that kind of police system in Great Britain, I THINK NOT.
- Meg, merthyr tydfil south wales, 18/12/2008 11:15
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This surely a case of the pot calling the kettle black!
- Jean, Hatfield, Herts, 18/12/2008 11:01
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Ah, bless her! Jacqui Smith, she never knowingly allows herself to be taken seriously, does she?
- Matt, UK, 18/12/2008 10:52
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They are already politicised....duh!!
- Oap, Cambridge UK, 18/12/2008 10:50
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Has barmy Boris looked at the American system for police forces. We would end up with different laws in different counties. The police would be working for the local MP not for the people.
M W
Cannock
Staffs
- M Willis, cannock, England, 18/12/2008 10:48
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the police have been politicised for years, why else were Met cars driving around with "vote labour" all over them? Smith, by far the worst Home Secretary ever will blame everyone apart from herself.
- Satnam Singh, stanion, england, 18/12/2008 10:44
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That is rich coming from the party that has been completely responsible for politicising the Police. That has used the Anti Terror bully squad against an opposition MP. The nerve of that woman who has brought in the most repressive anti civil liberty policies since WW2. ID cards and databases galore!
Democratically electing Police chiefs would do just the opposite. It would give reassurance that the Police serve the people who appoint them. Not as at present where they only dance to the Home sec's tune. So in fact the plan would bring power to the people, rather than to a crazed control freak that is Jaqui 'Jackboots' Smiff. In Nu Liebour world it seems that right is wrong , black is white and truth is whatever Mandy decides. I'm disgusted with the lot of them. Time for an election NOW! Viva Boris!
- Rusty Shackleford, UK, 18/12/2008 10:33
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