HORSEGATE...

PM David Cameron (Left)                          Rebekah Brooks (Centre)                        Raisa (ex Police Horse) (Right)

In many ways it was a classic piece of distraction, a superb example of how the implications of a larger complicated offence can be hidden by a minor infraction. Previous life experience tells me that the general public can at times be pretty fickle especially when it comes to the Police,while they may not give two hoots (at times) about Police officers getting savagely assaulted by rioters, they will not under any circumstances tolerate cruelty to animals e.g Police Dogs or Police Horses. This in a roundabout way brings me to the strange tale of the Prime Minister, A former Police horse and Rebekah Brooks.

The distraction story started small with the news that Rebekah Brooks (former News International employee) had homed a retired Police Horse (named Raisa) this is actually something that happens quite a lot, as Police horses are exceptionally well trained and good mounts. have not doubt that Brooks jumped the waiting list though. This was followed by the news that said horse had been returned in poor condition (the unspoken implication here being that said horse had been ill-treated or thrashed on a regular basis).

This works out quite nicely, it blackens Rebekah Brooks (even more) in the eyes of the general public and distracts the collective eye away from the exposure of the Metropolitan Police Service's questionable relationship with News International. All well and good save for the fact that the distraction story now begins to run and run and now because of Cameron's ill-judged friendship with the Brooks it now begins to involve the Prime Minister prompting questions at the European summit, much to the PM's irritation.

However this pans out I suspect that this latest episode won't help any relationship between the Metropolitan Police and  Downing Street. I predict its now only a matter of time before the Met quietly admits that Rebekah Brooks periodically drowned puppies at the Police Dog Kennels in an increasingly desperate attempt to avoid the full glare of media coverage of the Leveson Inquiry.

MANAGED NEWS...

The Night Watch (Rembrandt)

The oft iffy relationship between law enforcement and the modern day inhabitants of Grub (Fleet) Street and alcohol is probably as old as law enforcement itself. Making yourself look good, presenting a coherent managed image and ensuring that it gets distributed via the media probably itself dates back to the days of Julius Caesar. He was the probable inventor and first practitioner of serious spin in its modern form and a dedicated practitioner of managed news.

So the news that alcohol is firmly off the agenda from any meetings between the police and journalists may lead to the shedding of more than a few tears of regret and leave a few people weak at the knees. This follows the not particularly surprising revelation (in a report by Elizabeth Filkin) that the close relationship between parts of Scotland Yard and the media has caused "serious harm".

And that information has been (in the past) given "inappropriately" to the press. The report went on to suggest that these nefarious activities had "compromised" the way police and the media scrutinised each others activities. New rules for officers about relationships with journalists would be brought in. Since the dark days of the 1970's the Metropolitan Police has been a dedicated practitioner of the managing its image, and to building useful working relationships with selected crime journalists and other members of the press.

Part of this is about managing the news and part of it about using the press to flush out information from members of the public in relation to particular enquiries and investigation. That's actually fine and practical, it's when the relationship moves beyond that to a cosy cash fuelled (in some quarters) one, where bad news is buried when it becomes truly iffy if not criminal.

There is a world of difference between an active free press (the traditional fourth estate) and a well managed press. Long gone (thanks to News International in part) are the days when the Independent could refer to the Metropolitan Police PR machine as the "mean machine". Now that alcohol and flirting are on the way out, its only a matter of time before the Christmas Party is cancelled.

TOAST!

There may be more blood in the water as the Murdoch / News International / News Corp contagion continues to spread through 'fleet street' and the Metropolitan Police Service. There is a need for full disclosure and a whole raft of public enquires. The law must be enforced and it that means some spells in prison,  financial penalties and the end of some careers - then so be it. As an aside to the main event, unless David ("Please call me Prime Minister") Cameron gets a grip on this and backs full disclosure then he will be...

David Cameron

AN INTERMITENT SIGNAL

Whilst driving through the middle of Wales, dodging traffic for the Royal Welsh Show, I was trying to listen to the World at One (Radio 4) on in intermittent signal (due to a combination of geography, topography and rain) which was outlining the current situation / revelations in relation to the News of the World, News International and the Metropolitan Police. The more that comes out the worse it gets, what a tangled web of alleged questionable behaviour. One thing that is becoming much clearer in my mind is the realisation the the Metropolitan Police Service if only from a practical point of view is entirely unfit to run the enquiry into alleged corruption within its own ranks. I think that it's time for the Home Secretary to get a grip and draft in a Scottish Police Force to investigate whatever has been going on within the Metropolitan Police Service, before things get even more complicated than they already are and what few shreds of credibility are entirely blown away.

DISORDER, POLICING AND PROTEST

Very little (or nothing) in this world is a simple matter of being black of white; there are many shades of grey in between, especially when it comes to how large demonstrations are policed and even more so when there is resultant disorder which is splashed across the TV and the Press subsequent to the events of the Student protests. One thing, however, is very true, little is added to the eloquence of your argument by trying to stove in the head of a Police Officer.

We should ask (and it is proper in a free society that we do ask) searching questions about the Police tactics (especially 'Kettling') used by the Police at large demo's - I have been on both sides of the line so to speak and have seen both sides of confrontational demonstrations. I can accept that in heated or tense situations a Police officer at the end of his or her tether after hours of provocation (from the usual suspects the SWP and their ilk) might on occasion be less than polite when he or she asks people to move out of the way or along. It is worth noting that press photographers have lived with this sort of thing for years, but, there is no excuse for excessive force or violence. This does not, however, make it acceptable conduct or excuse blatant brutality.

One thing to remember is that there are those amongst the thousands of peaceful and law abiding demonstrators who attend demo's, there are those (and this is by way of experience and observation rather than the near permanent hysterical rant usually found in the pages of the Daily Mail or the Daily Telegraph) who do systematically direct what can be best described as focused and targeted hostility towards our Police officers for their own ends.

Whether we like it or not there are those who are looking to provoke a tangible public reaction for their own purposes, and who are more than happy to hide behind more naive and inexperienced demonstrators at large demo's and high-jack peaceful demonstrations. Now Police officers are effectively empowered to use reasonable force providing that it is proportionate to the situation they find themselves in, if excessive force is used by either side then it should be fully investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Any Police officers who knowingly or maliciously crosses the line when it comes to acceptable standards of behaviour should be firmly dealt with; as should any demonstrator who likewise may have crossed the line of acceptable behaviour. It is important for us to develop and retain a sense of perspective, we should remember that the vast majority of Police Officers and the vast majority of demonstrators did not cross the line when it comes to acceptable standards of behaviour at the Student protests, only a very small minority of people at the protests did so.

At the end of the day we are dealing with Policing by consent within a democratic society and it is important to remember that Police officers are only human and may react, as would anyone who has been subject to systematic provocation at the hands of a very small minority hell bent on inciting or causing trouble by provoking a reaction from harassed Police officers.

Now it works both ways because the public would expect overly thuggish or aggressive violent behaviour and the use of excessive force towards peaceful demonstrators and similar behaviour from demonstrators towards our Police officers, to be dealt with. Violent conduct from public servants to the public and from the public towards public servants is not, has never been and never will be acceptable and should be subject to the full penalties and rigours of the law - not trial by media or the Daily Mail.