A report has found that Suella Braverman was wrong to publicly criticize the Metropolitan Police for its handling of pro-Palestinian marches. The Ch Insp of Constabulary Andy Cooke has said that if her comments were appropriate, she should have made them in private. Ms Braverman had written an article in The Times in November 2021 claiming that the force showed bias when policing the protests.
The report was ordered by Ms Braverman herself and also revealed claims from police chiefs that they have been subject to improper political interference. This included pressure from her to ban a march planned for Armistice Day, which the then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak eventually asked organizers to cancel. After Braverman was accused of stoking tensions ahead of protests in London in response to the Israel-Gaza conflict, she was later sacked by Mr Sunak.
Ms Braverman’s article had said that pro-Palestinian protestors were being largely ignored, even when breaking the law, while aggressive right-wing protestors are met with a stern response by officers, whom she accused of double standards. The report also highlighted an incident where Mr Sunak backed down after initially criticizing a police officer dealing with protestors, based on a single video clip.
Making 22 recommendations for improvement to the Home Office, National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and College of Policing, Mr Cooke described the inspection as one of the most challenging the watchdog had carried out. A separate report showed that the Met’s Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist admitted in May 2021 that the force did not get everything right in handling such protests, and that they could have made arrests sooner during some large-scale events.
The UK government has issued a statement saying that they strongly support operational independence, which is the foundation of the policing model, and that it is vital that police officers are supported in their work. They welcome the report and will work closely with policing to consider the recommendations. Ms Braverman has been approached for comment
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