Andrew Mitchell and the police

[Dave the OAP]

Wonder how the sun got the note book entries of the police involved

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I wish I could tell the police to f*** off without retribution.

Touché.

 

[Chief Wiggum]

This is about the class nature of the insults, the failure by Andrew Mitchell to tell us exactly what he did say and what that says about the current government. If the boot was on the other foot the police officer would be sacked. Andrew Mitchell should tell us exactly what he did say. If he has lied he should resign and if he insists the police are telling lies, he should call for an investigation.

 

[jackanada]

Wonder how the sun got the note book entries of the police involved

Given to them by a senior officer after Mitchell's denials - which were effectively calling the police liars. As stated before these are not average bobbies they are considered elite and are thoroughly vetted. Questioning their integrity would have made their superiors mad hence this unprecedented action.

 

[Badger]

I think this is the perfect opportunity to use the word TWUNT, I think it sums up Andrew Mitchell nicely. Every time I hear him speak he seems to give off an air of "I'm an important minister and you are just the little people".

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

OK there is much muck raking and mischief making going on in the media over this but this bloke does seem to be a bit of a plonker a) for the initial incident which shows at best a serious lack of judgement by someone who should really know better and b) his failure to be seen to give a sincere and full apology in public.

Unfortunately some MPs or politicians dont live in the real world, don't understand the reality of the typical working man or womans lot and it appears that some think they are something special, and worse still beyond the law. They are public servants paid for out of the public purse so any abuse of power deserves investigating in the public interest. He seems like the sort of cock who would make a real meal of the matter if the Officers had spoken to him inappropriately rather than the other way around.

I rather hope that Andrew Mitchell doesn't require the Police in his home constituency (somewhere in the West Mids?) any time soon. I am sure he would be treated appropriately but Police Officers are also voters so makes him look very naive at a time when MPs could do with any support they can get from the public sector. He doesn't seem to recognise that the Officer(s) concerned appear to have exercised their discretion in not taking the matter further (quite right - they have better things to do). I'm sure if they chose to pursue it there is every chance of there being CCTV which if aired in Court might well show his demeanour in a favourable or less favourable light.

 

[Superphil]

According to reports on BBC, he was cycling towards the main gate but was told to get off his bike and walk through the smaller pedestrian gate. Why does this provoke abuse or was it just too inconvenient to get off a bike! .

My question is, why didn't the policeman just open the gate for him? It's not as though he was aksing for anything odd, the gate gets opened at other times for cyclists by other officers, why did that particular officer decide to refuse him access? After all, you're not meant to ride on the pavement/pedestrian paths are you? You are meant to ride on the public highway, which is what he was doing, just like he had done on previous occasions.

Still no need to be abusive though, and he'll pay for it, but then there was no need for the policeman not to open the gate either.

 

[The Spanish]

just been watching him interviewed if i didnt know it was real i would have thought it was something out of the Thick of It. f***ing hell the flannel doesnt stop whoevers in charge.

Why hasnt anyone broached the subject of whether he had just had a long leisurely lunch yet, thats what it smacks of to me, guaranteed.

 

[Hyperion]

The whole affair is pathetic. The Police Officer has been called a lot worse. The Police wanted an enquiry, WHY? what a bloody waste of money. The Fella apologised, the officer accepted it. The politicians arguing over what he said or didnt say. Really? For f*** sake.

How about the Tories, stop the cut backs on the Police and stop wasting so much of our money on those bloody playground kids in Parliament

 

[ROSM]

My question is, why didn't the policeman just open the gate for him? It's not as though he was aksing for anything odd, the gate gets opened at other times for cyclists by other officers, why did that particular officer decide to refuse him access? After all, you're not meant to ride on the pavement/pedestrian paths are you? You are meant to ride on the public highway, which is what he was doing, just like he had done on previous occasions.

Still no need to be abusive though, and he'll pay for it, but then there was no need for the policeman not to open the gate either.

There a number of reasons why the main gate won't be opened including (and not limited to) security concerns, the availability of officers to man it and still offer protection, expected other traffic etc.

It's not rocket science.

And to be clear, he hasn't actually apologised for much so far. He is basically calling experienced police officers liars. And this is why an investigation is important because if he is right then the met have a huge problem.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

My question is, why didn't the policeman just open the gate for him? It's not as though he was aksing for anything odd, the gate gets opened at other times for cyclists by other officers, why did that particular officer decide to refuse him access? After all, you're not meant to ride on the pavement/pedestrian paths are you? You are meant to ride on the public highway, which is what he was doing, just like he had done on previous occasions.

Still no need to be abusive though, and he'll pay for it, but then there was no need for the policeman not to open the gate either.

Not just a gate, there is is a rising hydraulic ramp as well as heavy iron gates - presumably all intended to prevent a suicide car / lorry attack. Given the attacks on Embassies and loss of life across the world in the last couple of weeks it would seem rather pointless to have these elaborate precautions outside Downing St if they are going to open them for a cyclist. Al Qaeda or other faction looking for such an opportunity would piss themselves laughing. If I were a Police Officer responsible for security of the Government I wouldn't hesitate to ask Mitchell to go through the pedestrian gate instead. People forget that terrorists have struck at the heart of Govt before. All makes Mitchell look even more out of touch with rfeality.

 

[Superphil]

There a number of reasons why the main gate won't be opened including (and not limited to) security concerns, the availability of officers to man it and still offer protection, expected other traffic etc.

It's not rocket science.

And to be clear, he hasn't actually apologised for much so far. He is basically calling experienced police officers liars. And this is why an investigation is important because if he is right then the met have a huge problem.

Not just a gate, there is is a rising hydraulic ramp as well as heavy iron gates - presumably all intended to prevent a suicide car / lorry attack. Given the attacks on Embassies and loss of life across the world in the last couple of weeks it would seem rather pointless to have these elaborate precautions outside Downing St if they are going to open them for a cyclist. Al Qaeda or other faction looking for such an opportunity would piss themselves laughing. If I were a Police Officer responsible for security of the Government I wouldn't hesitate to ask Mitchell to go through the pedestrian gate instead. People forget that terrorists have struck at the heart of Govt before. All makes Mitchell look even more out of touch with rfeality.

They open that gate for cyclists, I've seen it, it's not as though it is something they don't do. You only have to open the gates, there are no hydraulic barriers at the gates.

It just seems this particular policeman decided not to, I was asking the question why? That's all.

Frankly the politician is an arsehole for saying what he said, couldn't give a shit if he is dumped from the government over it, he should have just complied with the policemans request, but I think the policeman could have at least explained why he wouldn't let him use the gate, had they had a new directive to no longer allow bikes to use that gate any more?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

He's an arrogant shit and he should be given the boot.

 

[abc]

Rather amuses me to see people on a football forum of all places damning someone for saying a few rude words to a policeman!

 

[Pavilionaire]

If the politicians at the top feel they can treat the police like shit then what sort of example does that set to the rest of society?

We can all lose our temper but it takes a special kind of twat to rant at the police guarding No. 10. I'd like to see the idiot sacked and Ken Clark reinstated in his place.

 

[Gullzone]

Very simply he lied when asked the question "did you call the policeman a pleb" and for that I believe he should resign because he is untrustworthy.
(not that any of them are but you cant do that in public)

 

[Ernest]

He is finished and the longer he clings onto the job the worse it gets

 

[1066familyman]

What's your take on this?

Do you think he used the words attributed to him like "pleb" and "know your place"?
Do you think he should be sacked if he it transpires that he did?

I think what is pissing me off more than anything else is that he hasn't actually had the courage to say what he DID say? Not the conduct of a government minister, IMO.

Can't we hold a plebiscite so us Plebs can decide the outcome on this

Anyone care to put forward the proposal so we can vote on it?

 

[glasfryn]

someone is lying the Policeman or an arrogant posh tory

and for me its always going to be the tory or any politician for that matter

 

[Aadam]

can i ask if we swore at Police in a public place we would be arrested and possibly cautioned, so why not for an MP.

Also love how the sun got hold of Police statements again and published it FML

He swore? I thought it was just a grumpy slur at the policeman. Seems we're wasting way too much time and public money on this already. He said sorry, move on. At the end of the day we all get stressed, we all get annoyed and say things at the wrong time. Who knows what the mental state of this guy was at the time. Sounds like the policeman delayed opening the gates for some reason, and he got annoyed.

Non-story. Not news.