Opening statements from counsel representing non-state core participants including families of deceased children whose identities were stolen, Richard Chessum and Mary (spied on by DC Richard Clark), and Piers Corbyn. Addresses themes of deceased children's identity theft, sexual relationships as abuse tactics, DC Clark's infiltration and manipulation of the Troops Out Movement, blacklisting, and systemic failures of justification for surveillance operations.
00:07:31 good morning everyone and welcome to the third day of opening statements at the undercover policing inquiry my name is neil fernandez and i am the hearings manager
00:07:42 hearings manager this is day three of the opening statements in tranche one phase two and this phase will conclude on the 14th of may i will now hand over to our chairman sir john mitting to formally start proceedings chairman
00:07:55 to formally start proceedings chairman thank uh you as yesterday i'm going to begin by reading a short statement i do so at the request of celia stumps on this day
00:08:12 celia stumps on this day in 1979 blair peach was struck on the head
00:08:13 head during a demonstration at sanford causing his death claire peach was a teacher
00:08:23 teacher and a committed campaigner against racism
00:08:28 racism his partner celia stubbs is a core participant in this inquiry and her opening statement which set out the circumstances of his death was read to the inquiry yesterday
00:08:43 yesterday there will now be a minute silence to commemorate their beach
00:09:51 thank you miss williams
00:09:57 good morning sir
00:10:08 what is this this statement is made on behalf of families who became aware
00:10:11 aware that the identities of their deceased loved ones were appropriated for the purposes of constructing the covert identities of undercover police officers specifically frank bennett and honor robson the
00:10:25 frank bennett and honor robson the bereaved brother and sister of michael hartley
00:10:29 hartley who died on the 4th of august 1968 at 18 years of
00:10:30 years of age faith mason the bereaved mother of neil robert martin who died on the 15th of october 1969 at six years of age
00:10:42 1969 at six years of age lisa crossland and mark crossland the bereaved stepmother and brother of kevin john crossland who died on the 1st of september 1966 at five years of age mr
00:10:58 at five years of age mr mrs and miss lewis father mother and sister of anthony lewis who died on 31st july 1968 at seven years of age barbara shaw
00:11:12 at seven years of age barbara shaw the bereaved mother of rod richardson who died on 7th september 1973 when he was just two days old
00:11:18 each of our clients experienced the death of a child a life event amongst the most difficult that it is possible to suffer more recently
00:11:27 recently the families have also suffered the horror of learning that their loved ones identities were used by undercover officers precisely because of their bereavement
00:11:40 of their bereavement because their son or daughter lost their life
00:11:41 life when they were a child
00:11:46 this phase of the inquiry is a particularly important one from our clients perspectives as it was during
00:11:55 during the years covered by this phase of evidence that undercover officers started
00:12:02 started to use deceased children's identities and it rapidly became the special demonstration squads the sds's standard practice our clients seek answers from this phase of the inquiry to the most fundamental issues
00:12:14 issues regarding this callous misuse of their loved ones identities how on earth did this abhorrent practice come to be adopted
00:12:26 come to be adopted how did it come to be embedded in sds procedures were there alternatives that could and should have been adopted instead
00:12:40 been adopted instead did anyone consider the impact upon the bereaved families of this practice and at what level within the metropolitan police service who are referred to as the mps was it authorized or condoned our clients have searched for answers
00:12:55 for answers to these questions for too many years they hope they will not have to wait much longer barbara shaw the mother of rod richardson for example has been trying to uncover the truth since 2013.
00:13:06 since 2013. she is now very frail and her health is failing
00:13:10 failing she's distressed to contemplate that she will not live long enough to find out these answers
00:13:18 the families we represent engage in this inquiry because they want to know whether this abuse of their memories of their loved ones was necessary
00:13:29 their loved ones was necessary whether it served any legitimate purpose and if not why it was permitted to become such an embedded practice on the material now disclosed uh for this
00:13:39 this uh tranche one phase two hearing we believe
00:13:44 believe that the conclusion inevitably must be that there was no clear rationale no sufficient justification and no necessity
00:13:52 necessity for this repulsive practice
00:13:58 in the earlier trial phase one the families learnt that between 1968 and 1972 none of the sds officers who i will refer to as the ucos
00:14:12 who i will refer to as the ucos who we heard evidence about relied upon the identity of a deceased child and none suffered compromise of their cover identity and consequence their fictitious covert identities were protected
00:14:25 protected it would appear by common sense by the maintenance of distance from their subjects and keeping a low profile
00:14:37 profile during this period the sds deployed ucos without any need to appropriate the identity of dead children furthermore the evidential picture that emerged from this first phase of the inquiry
00:14:46 inquiry did not suggest that there were any pressing operational imperatives that either were prompting or were sufficient to prompt the abandonment of the practice of
00:14:58 the abandonment of the practice of officers using fictitious identities for their legends
00:15:07 i turned to the early phase two period prior to the use of deceased children's identities
00:15:12 we have searched in vain for evidence in the thousands of pages of the tranche one phase two bundle that would justify
00:15:24 would justify the dramatic um change of approach that took place in or about 1974. we do not believe it exists
00:15:30 several of the officers whose evidence will be heard or summarized in phase two were deployed before 1974. with one exception involving officer hn298s
00:15:41 hn298s own decision to use a real person's identity
00:15:44 identity it seems that use of fictitious identities continued until some new sds officers were deployed in 1974.
00:15:55 deployed in 1974. for example hn 45 cover named dave robertson
00:15:56 robertson hn 299 also known as hn342 cover named dave hughes hn 301 cover name rob stubbs sorry bob stubs
00:16:07 stubs and hn 347 cover named alex sloan were deployed before 1974 and all used fictitious
00:16:18 fictitious identities none of these officers have suggested in their accounts that using a fictitious identity caused a specific uh concern amongst them in terms of maintaining their cover and furthermore none of their
00:16:32 and furthermore none of their experiences suggest that using a fictitious name was a cause of or heightened the risk of exposure
00:16:42 exposure one of these officers hn 45 did have his undercover identity compromised in december 1973 but this had nothing to do with using a fake name
00:16:54 fake name hm45's own account is that a member of the public ethel met him when he was still a uniformed officer and greeted his arrival undercover at a meeting at the london school of economics
00:17:06 school of economics with quote here a scotland yard come to take us away close quote he was withdrawn from the field immediately diane langford in her statement recalls aspects of the incident differently
00:17:18 aspects of the incident differently but in any event it is plain from both accounts that the officer's fictitious covert identity played no part in his compromise the compromise was caused by visual recognition
00:17:30 recognition by someone who had met this officer in the past
00:17:35 the past we are only aware of two other incidents where phase two ucos faced a challenge to their cover identities hn 347 who infiltrated the irish national
00:17:48 national liberation solidarity front which i will refer to as the inl s f was withdrawn from his deployment in 1971. there is nothing
00:17:59 in 1971. there is nothing to suggest that his use of a fictitious identity
00:18:00 identity played a part in those events and it will be appreciated that the practice of using fictitious identities continued for around another three years after that
00:18:12 after that this officer uh uh hn347 describes the inlsf as being quote very nervous unquote regarding infiltration by undercover officers
00:18:28 infiltration by undercover officers and how he was followed and tracked to his cover flat and confronted by two members of the group stating that he was a pig his deployment was ended as a precaution it is hard to see how those matters
00:18:43 it is hard to see how those matters would have played out any differently if that undercover officer had been using a deceased child's identity secondly hn 298 who as i have just mentioned did use a real person's identity seemingly of his own volition describes
00:18:57 seemingly of his own volition describes being challenged as a spy and responding by assaulting his accuser as he was not withdrawn from his deployment presumably the risk of compromise cannot have been considered all that significant
00:19:10 the lack of justification for the dramatic change in policy is underscored by the contents of the sds's own
00:19:19 own annual reports documents prepared each year by the officer in charge of the unit for consideration by the cena echelons of the mps and the home secretary
00:19:31 secretary the 1972 annual report written on 14th of february 1973 by hn 294 the detective inspector who was then head of the sds confirmed at paragraph 17. quote
00:19:44 confirmed at paragraph 17. quote one of the main advantages of a field officer assuming a fictitious name using a cover address and employment and radically altering his appearance is that unlike an informant he can resume his
00:19:56 unlike an informant he can resume his proper identity and appearance at any time and immediately be lost to the extremists
00:20:07 the 1973 annual report from hn294 now a chief inspector was written on 6th of march 1974 the very year in which it seems the new practice commenced but far from identifying a new or increasing threat to the unmasking
00:20:22 increasing threat to the unmasking of his undercover officers he described quote
00:20:25 quote the avoidance in nearly six years existence
00:20:26 existence of the irretrievable exposure of any sds officer close quote and the point still holds
00:20:37 still holds good if the evidence should show that the practice was introduced in the previous year 1973 since the 1972 annual report written in early 1973 contained the almost identical observation
00:20:51 almost identical observation that quote since the formation of the squad
00:20:54 squad no officer has been irretrievably exposed
00:20:55 exposed or identified
00:21:01 so it seems that after six years of operation
00:21:06 operation the sds had relied upon a perfectly serviceable means of acquiring fictitious covert identities what then provoked the change we have also re-examined the sds's tradecraft manual
00:21:19 tradecraft manual which we referred to in our opening statement for phase one this was the document it will be recalled that referred so dismissively to the berea families and their deceased loved ones in offensively
00:21:33 loved ones in offensively flippant terms for example the octopus's task was characterized as quote finding a suitable ex-person usually a deceased child close quote and officers were
00:21:44 child close quote and officers were advised to find a death that was quote natural or otherwise unspectacular checking whether the deceased child had living relatives was referred to as identifying their quote
00:21:53 quote respiratory status unquote the manual notes that by 1994 there was growing unease amongst sds managers about the obvious risks
00:22:07 risks inherent in adopting a provably false identity
00:22:08 identity since hostile inquiry as it was described would reveal that the person the undercover officer purported to be was in fact dead
00:22:20 was in fact dead the text also recognizes significantly that these were not new concerns to the country there had been quote many earlier fears that using deceased children's identities were quote indeed unsafe close quote
00:22:36 indeed unsafe close quote i now turn to the start of the practice of using deceased children's identities the material that has now been made available indicates that from at least 1974 onwards
00:22:47 at least 1974 onwards ucos used the identity of a deceased child
00:22:50 child and were either specifically instructed to do so
00:22:53 to do so or were given to understand that this was the expected practice for example hn200 who used the cover name roger harris hn 353 gary roberts
00:23:04 hn 353 gary roberts and hn 351 jeff slater were all deployed as part of the sds in 1974.
00:23:16 1974. hn 200 says in his statement that he was quote
00:23:17 quote told that the normal way of choosing a cover name was to go to somerset house and find someone who had died in the same paragraph he says quote uh
00:23:30 in the same paragraph he says quote uh sorry he says he quote did query whether it was necessary to do this but it was explained that this was the usual process close quote he described someone from the sds back office coming with him to somerset house
00:23:43 somerset house to quote show me the ropes as it was a big undertaking close quote officer hm353 says that someone in the sds told him how to choose a cover name
00:23:54 how to choose a cover name by attending somerset house and finding a person who had died who would have been of a similar age to him if still alive hn 351 describes it as follows
00:24:08 hn 351 describes it as follows that it was quote the convention at the time that a deceased child's identity would be used close quote but he goes on to say that he does not recall the rationale for this
00:24:18 this being discussed phase two officers who were later deployed to the sds have given similar descriptions have been told to use a deceased child's identity in the creation of their legend for example
00:24:31 example hn304 who used the cover name graham coates
00:24:32 coates who joined the sds in 1975 hn 354 vince miller who joined in 1976 hn126 paul gray
00:24:43 hn126 paul gray who joined in 1977 and h.n
00:24:58 96 michael james and hn 106 barry tompkins who both joined in 1978. however the disclosed documents offer no explanation for why the use of fictitious identities was abandoned
00:25:12 was abandoned we do not know who made the decision when it was made or why it was made mr bar queen's council indicated in his opening statement to the inquiry on wednesday that the inquiry has not found any
00:25:24 that the inquiry has not found any contemporaneous written instructional guidance documents amongst the mountains of materials that have been considered that addresses or explains the introduction of this practice
00:25:36 practice in short nothing has been provided that could justify the damage that the change of practice has caused to real
00:25:42 to real bereaved vulnerable human beings nothing that could justify the huge risks of avoidable harm to policing itself
00:25:55 itself the inference that we reasonably draw is that the relevant decision makers did not contemplate the possibility that they would ever be asked to answer questions in public about this practice the very fact of this inquiry's investigation serves a vital public function
00:26:06 function in communicating that these senior police officers are not above the law the actions of those senior decision makers will come into focus
00:26:17 makers will come into focus in tranche 1 phase 3 and the evidence to be heard in the coming weeks will be of great significance to the questions that will arise for them
00:26:28 in order to try and understand the introduction of the practice we look back at the justifications that were advanced in the phase one opening statements by the designated lawyers group officers and the mps
00:26:40 and the mps in summary it was said there was an essential operational imperative for undercover officers to rely upon real identities the designated lawyers opening statement said the justification
00:26:54 said the justification for relying on the identity of real people was to place officers in a position to support their false identity by way of a birth certificate that could be produced as proof if they
00:27:06 that could be produced as proof if they uh that they were who they claimed to be if they were challenged and that the equivalent could not be done um if a fictitious identity was adopted as there would not be a birth certificate um in a publicly accessible register of births
00:27:18 accessible register of births which were contained within bound volumes
00:27:23 volumes their opening statement continued that reliance on fictitious cover identities quote was adopted to begin with but reviewed and abandoned after a number of
00:27:35 number of undercover officers were compromised or outed
00:27:37 outed close quote however i have already described incidents where officers cover identity was compromised strikingly none of those incidents suggested or warranted the
00:27:49 incidents suggested or warranted the conclusion that the use of a deceased child's identity would have made any material difference the designated lawyers phase one opening statement also said quote some officers were uncomfortable with the practice
00:28:02 with the practice some regarded as necessary trade craft and all proceeded on the basis that there was no alternative and the families of the deceased children in question would never know the phase one opening statement on behalf of the mps
00:28:16 behalf of the mps also relied upon alleged necessity saying
00:28:19 saying that evidence would be given in charge one and two quote as to why the practice was considered necessary at the time to support the work of undercover officers
00:28:34 officers well we have yet to see that evidence the mps's opening statement for this phase of the inquiry does not provide anything more concrete and indeed appears to acknowledge that in relation to the introduction of the practice the inquiry will be testing quote
00:28:47 quote the extent to which it was operationally necessary
00:28:52 necessary we also note that in the phase one opening statement provided by the national crime agency who i will refer to as the nca um the following was said quote the ncaa has never
00:29:01 has never had a policy that involved encouraging officers encouraging undercover officers to use the identities of deceased children
00:29:07 children when creating their legend identities nor is the nca aware of any such policy being in place within the regional crime squads the national crime squads or serious organized crime agency
00:29:24 we suggest it is material that the regional crime squads operated from the 1960s
00:29:27 1960s until they were replaced by the national crime squad in 1998 the regional crime squads contained dedicated undercover units um legitimately be described as specialists in undercover policing
00:29:40 specialists in undercover policing they operated prior to the digitization of birth records without appropriating the identity of deceased children the mps suggested in
00:29:50 in its opening statement for this phase that the change in practice coincided with
00:29:58 with quote infiltration of more security conscious organizations which they said quotes brought a need to ensure
00:30:05 ensure that the identities used by the undercover officers could withstand scrutiny
00:30:14 however if this practice was introduced because
00:30:18 because ucos were outed and or because of the threat
00:30:21 threat of this occurring was thought to have significantly increased we would have expected to see a commensurate increase around this time in other sds precautions aimed at shoring up
00:30:34 precautions aimed at shoring up the credibility of undercover officers legends
00:30:38 legends at preventing their exposure by those who are being spied on but again we have looked for this evidence in vain turning firstly to the officers who were deployed undercover in 1974
00:30:52 deployed undercover in 1974 officer h n 200 says in his statement that he did quote not to create a particularly detailed background persona he goes on to say he did not supply an autobiography or go through a process of eradicating inconsistencies
00:31:06 eradicating inconsistencies within it with his superiors he said he received no written guidance on creating his legend and quote it was largely left to me both hn 353 and hn 351
00:31:20 both hn 353 and hn 351 also said they were not provided with any other written guidance
00:31:28 a similar impression emerges from the undercover officers who were deployed over the next few years for example hn126 says of his cover identity
00:31:35 identity in his witness statement quote it is possible that it was not very detailed i do not think anyone ever really tested it
00:31:51 really tested it hn 354 says there was no formal training as to the creation of a legend and no manual
00:31:55 manual any comments quote i have been asked whether my undercover persona was sufficiently developed to include a cover background i simply made my legend up as i went along and he goes on to say that his legend was not tested by managers
00:32:08 was not tested by managers so on the face of it this apparent casualness over the creation of undercover officers legends does not sit well with the proposition that fears of their exposure had escalated
00:32:24 escalated and had become so great by 1974 onwards that they had to adopt this extreme tactic
00:32:27 tactic of misappropriating the identity of a dead child we note of course that the technique of using
00:32:35 using a dead person's identity came to public prominence via frederick forsyth the day of the jackal the novel was published in 1971 and the film was released in 1973.
00:32:49 and the film was released in 1973. the timing is interesting could it be that a work of fiction rather than operational necessity inspired the introduction of this repellent tactic
00:33:00 once introduced the practice of undercover officers employing the identities of deceased children appears to have lasted around 20 years albeit not consistently in the later years
00:33:11 later years we hope the inquiry will look carefully at the justification for it not only at its inception but as time progressed strikingly there was a demonstration of its risks
00:33:22 its risks and limitations shortly after it was introduced as mr barquin's council briefly mentioned on wednesday the now deceived hn297 detective constable richard clark
00:33:35 constable richard clark who was known in his cover name as rick gibson
00:33:39 gibson was deployed in early 1975 and was withdrawn
00:33:43 withdrawn in september 1976 where members of big flame
00:33:46 flame a group he was spying on confronted him with official copies that they were able to obtain of both the birth
00:33:53 the birth and the death certificates in his cover name
00:33:55 name richard chesson's witness statement indicates that suspicions surrounding rick gibson's identity first emerged because he appeared to lack the understanding of the political and historical
00:34:07 of the political and historical background and events that would be expected of an activist in their circles the reference years later in the trade calf manual to an sds officer being quote
00:34:18 quote confronted with his own death certificate appears to be a reference to the compromise of dc clark's covert identity as rick gibson
00:34:27 gibson and it seems clear that the officer constructed his covert identity from the personal details of a deceased child consistent with the sds practice of the time
00:34:39 time and that it was the inability of the child's death certificate which clinched the suspicions of those who confronted him accordingly far from confirming that use of a deceased child's identity
00:34:53 of a deceased child's identity provided a secure means of maintaining cover
00:34:57 cover because a real birth certificate existed to be found if a suspicious person went looking for it this episode in fact vividly illustrated the dangers of relying upon a real cell
00:35:08 relying upon a real cell person's identity because the death certificate as well as the birth certificate was there to be found as mr barr noted detective constable clark was one of the first officers
00:35:21 clark was one of the first officers to use a deceased child's identity and the technique proved not robust enough to protect his cover
00:35:25 cover in operational terms it was a failure deceased children's identities were not a prophylactic against exposure and managers knew it
00:35:38 managers knew it there may be a further dimension to d.c clark's outing on the account of an officer whose testimony has been gisted by the inquiry clark told him that he had a couple of sexual relationships in his cover identity
00:35:50 identity which led to his identity being compromised richard chesson recalls that this officer had sexual contact with at least four female activists including one or more members of big flame
00:36:01 more members of big flame the group that became suspicious and started to inquire into his background the same off undercover officer also had casual sexual relationships with both mary
00:36:12 mary and her flatmate who he met through goldsmith college and the troops out movement
00:36:18 movement mary describes how they both found his behavior oddly detached for example he never stayed the entire night
00:36:25 night but they didn't consider the possibility that he was an undercover officer until they were informed of big flames discovery
00:36:35 discovery what does seem clear though is that dc clark was willing to behave in a way that put
00:36:39 that put exposure of his true identity a considerable risk and in a manner that may very well have drawn suspicions upon himself his behavior was certainly the antithesis of the conduct we heard described in phase one
00:36:53 described in phase one where officers spoke of the importance of keeping distance and maintaining a low profile as essential elements to retaining cover the circumstances of
00:37:08 to retaining cover the circumstances of clark's exposure and withdrawal from the field prompted the officer who held overall responsibility for the sds at the time chief superintendent bicknell to send a memo to his superior officer informing him of the compromise and offering reassurance that both he and superintendent neil were quote
00:37:22 and superintendent neil were quote keeping a very close eye on it the compromise of d c clark was considered to give rise to quote extreme safety concerns
00:37:32 it is therefore extraordinary that the practice of reliance upon dead children's identities was not immediately abandoned after these events in 1976 it is equally extraordinary that they did not lead to a disciplinary investigation regarding
00:37:45 investigation regarding dc clark's gross misconduct well under cover
00:37:51 cover a proper review of all these matters in 1976 would likely have identified that use of deceased children's identities particularly when allied to outrageous cover sorry outrageous conduct in undercover roles
00:38:03 conduct in undercover roles ran significant risks of compromise and could not be justified moreover such a review would likely have brought focus to bear on the importance of an undercovers officer's own
00:38:17 officer's own conduct and their maintain and their maintenance of high standards of professionalism in the securing of their own safety in reality the use of fictitious identities and maintenance of strict professional standards
00:38:31 professional standards including keeping a distance from the subject
00:38:35 subject of the surveillance afforded far better cover
00:38:40 cover than that provided by officers preying on the biographical details of dead children
00:38:44 children who had suffered tragic early deaths and then failing to adhere to professional standards once they were deployed
00:38:54 there are other instances of undercover officers who use the deceased child's identity attracting suspicion hm126 paul gray came under suspicion but it was not considered as a sufficient threat to require his removal from the field
00:39:06 from the field so this is a further example where an identity based upon a real person offered no more protection than a covert identity based upon a fiction
00:39:17 identity based upon a fiction hn 3804 who used the cover name graham coates uh had his uh uh cover identity compromised because he gave his real name when stopped by police
00:39:28 police but obviously that episode provides no support at all for the proposition that use of a deceased child's identity afforded greater protection as far as we can see there was no
00:39:40 as far as we can see there was no justification for adopting the practice of reliance upon dead children's identities and no justification for continuing with it
00:39:47 it after the dangers associated with it were exposed by the events in 1976 not only did the sds fail to revert to the practice of relying upon fictitious identities
00:40:04 identities but they did not take steps to direct and ensure that officers did not compromise their covers or put them in jeopardy by engaging in conduct
00:40:11 conduct antithetical to their policing responsibilities the available material indicates that sds managers failed to see fail to oversee that officers prepared assiduously for deployment
00:40:23 assiduously for deployment and once in the field maintain distance and avoided unnecessary intrusion
00:40:29 all of this speaks to a lack of professionalism and a unit that was operating far beyond the boundaries of proper policing by way of further example
00:40:43 example from the date of his deployment 1974 it is highly likely that undercover officer hn 300 who used the cover named jim pickford uh was employing a deceased child's identity
00:40:50 identity as miss kaufman the queen's council explains yesterday this officer embarked on a sexual relationship with one of the women he was spying on and subsequently had a child with her so not only did the reliance upon
00:41:02 so not only did the reliance upon deceased children's identities continue and indeed become the embedded practice of the sds for a further two decades but the gross misconduct of officers
00:41:14 misconduct of officers under cloak of those identities continued indeed escalated as miss kaufman described yesterday
00:41:28 i turned to the moral dimension on the face of it remarkably few sds officers appear to have experienced qualms of conscience about appropriating a deceased child's identity
00:41:34 identity we have seen nothing to suggest that this immensely important aspect was taken into account by their superiors
00:41:42 superiors even after it must have become known that officers were conducting deceptive sexual relationships under these stolen cover identities and as i will come on to describe committing crimes
00:41:53 committing crimes one of the officers accounts where we only have the short gist provided by the inquiry
00:41:58 inquiry says he considered quote the moral implications of doing so at the time but considered it was the right thing to do as the only way to effectively protect his safety
00:42:09 protect his safety we've already addressed the latin proposition it is unclear whether there was any wider discussion of the moral implications amongst this seemingly tight-knit group of officers and the superiors who they met with
00:42:24 met with and spoke to very regularly they plainly should have been
00:42:30 one officer hn80 says in his witness statement
00:42:31 statement that it distressed him to use the details from a deceased child's birth certificate quote and i knew that it would
00:42:45 quote and i knew that it would necessarily cause distress to the family if it was discovered he goes on to describe
00:42:49 describe identifying a death certificate for a paul clark but making clear to his managers
00:42:53 managers he wanted to use a different first name colin
00:42:54 colin and his own date of birth however his account suggests that his request was not fully accommodated as some of paul clark's details were
00:43:06 as some of paul clark's details were used in relation to the driving licence and passport that he was provided with in the colin clark cover name his account raises a number of issues which our clients hope the inquiry will explore in this
00:43:20 explore in this and in phase three as his managers were made aware of this officer's concern about causing unnecessary grief to a bereaved family did this give them any pause for thought
00:43:34 even if shockingly they had not considered it before did they then think about the moral dimension at this stage if not why not were his concerns discussed
00:43:45 discussed amongst the other undercover officers did any of the officers who adopted a deceased child's identity believe they had a choice over the matter or were they given to understood understand that they must
00:44:00 understood understand that they must follow an instruction to that effect we also note that hn80 was deployed undercover for almost five years with the sds
00:44:07 the sds so in his case it seems that despite his less than wholehearted adoption of the prevailing policy of using a deceased child's identity that was not regarded as compromising his cover
00:44:24 on a related topic our clients are keen to understand the extent to which the details from the deceased children's lives were adopted and the extent to which officers visited the area
00:44:31 area in which the child lived mr barr described the accounts of two of the phase two officers in this respect in his opening on wednesday
00:44:42 his opening on wednesday we note that hn 96 who used the cover name michael james says that he was instructed to visit blackpool
00:44:50 blackpool the birthplace of the deceased child and that he received assistance from the local special branch in making inquiries about the family's address
00:44:55 address given the terms in which this is described it seems hard to credit that this instruction was a one-off why weren't
00:45:08 was a one-off why weren't hn 96's contemporaries given similar instructions was there anything unique about this case or are other ucos being less than forthcoming with the inquiry about the degree of intrusion they were responsible for
00:45:23 responsible for we note that mr barr has confirmed this issue will be explored with the phase two witnesses
00:45:31 as i have already touched on our clients have an additional concern arising from the use of deceased children's identities which they also hope the inquiry will look at carefully and this is the extent to which officers committed criminal offences and were arrested prosecuted
00:45:44 and were arrested prosecuted and were still convicted in those names
00:45:53 although officers use of the names of our families loved ones will not arise until later tranches of evidence our clients want to understand more generally the extent to which this shocking state of affairs occurred
00:46:05 shocking state of affairs occurred and the extent to which if at all it gave managers pause for thought about the wisdom or the morality of using real identities belonging to real people undercover officer hn 13 is deceased
00:46:21 officer hn 13 is deceased but his widow confirms he used the surname of a deceased child from wiltshire
00:46:24 wiltshire this officer was arrested charged and convicted of public order offences in the name of the deceased child he took
00:46:32 took and as has been described in earlier opening statements hn 298 who was using the identity of a real person without it seems checking first whether they were alive or dead
00:46:44 they were alive or dead was arrested charged tried and convicted in his cover name for offences of obstructing a police officer and willfully obstructing the highway
00:46:51 highway other officers may have escaped arrest and prosecution but they were willing it seems to run that risk by committing offenses when they were using a deceased child's identity
00:47:06 using a deceased child's identity for example hn297 is described as participating in fly posting in his local area surely the fact that undercover officers could face prosecution and conviction in their adopted identities
00:47:21 adopted identities provided further compelling reason for sds superiors to be extremely cautious about using the identities of real people was any regard
00:47:32 of real people was any regard paid to the consequential and wholly unjustified besmirching of their good names was any regard paid to the likely impact on bereaved families
00:47:42 families of learning that their loved ones reputations have been tarnished in this way
00:47:51 way were any steps taken to protect the real living as it turned out in the case of michael peter scott whose details hn 298 so casually misappropriated mr barr said on wednesday that the
00:48:02 mr barr said on wednesday that the inquiry has not been able to establish whether these convictions were ever attributed to the real michael scott but we hope investigations in relation to this important matter will continue
00:48:15 from all we have read the callous interference with bereaved families that we have described was in every sense consistent with the motivations culture and broader practices of the sds
00:48:27 and broader practices of the sds a unit that have been permitted to operate without legitimacy or accountability over several years by now
00:48:38 several years by now whilst from 1974 prospective ucos were told to take the steps necessary to acquire elements of the identities of the deceased children by their superiors there is no indication in the material that we have seen
00:48:49 that we have seen of actual supervision of the officers with regard to their use and misuse of the data they accessed not a hint of any consideration by senior officers
00:49:00 senior officers as to the proportionality of their actions
00:49:02 actions nor to the potential consequences for the bereaved family should they become aware
00:49:10 aware of what was happening not a sign of any appreciation that this could never be characterized as an action taken on the public's behalf in anticipation of public consent and no review of necessity efficacy
00:49:27 and no review of necessity efficacy or risk on the contrary this apparent grossly abusive technique simply became the embedded cultural practice of the sds where it sat alongside other abhorrent behaviors all of which manifested in the context of a unit
00:49:42 context of a unit that lacked legitimacy accountability or effective supervision
00:49:50 in preparing for this phase of the inquiry our ability to probe the adoption of the practice of appropriating deceased children's identities and to the examine the extent to which the previous approach
00:50:01 the previous approach afforded uco sufficient protection has been hampered by the restrictive approach taken to disclosure the mps has argued this inquiry that this inquiry disclosure
00:50:16 that this inquiry disclosure sorry i'm going to start that sentence again the mps has argued that should this inquiry require disclosure of information about its undercover policing techniques and methodologies real and tangible harm would be caused to policing this has led to what our clients consider to be extensive
00:50:30 consider to be extensive and potentially excessive redactions of information regarding the practices surrounding the creation of fictitious identities prior to 1974
00:50:37 to 1974 and the practices surrounding reliance on the identities of deceased children thereafter our clients struggle to understand how any harm to policing can be derived from disclosure of information
00:50:51 from disclosure of information regarding obsolete or discredited and abandoned
00:50:55 abandoned policing techniques it is from our clients perspective the abhorrent practice of using the identities of their loved ones that has caused the harm to policing policing by consent has been the
00:51:07 policing by consent has been the philosophy of british policing for almost two centuries the nine principles of policing issued to every police officer from 1829 explicitly required police officers to quote
00:51:18 quote recognize always that the power of the public police to fulfill their functions and duties is dependent on public approval of their actions and behavior and on their abilities to secure and maintain public respect
00:51:31 maintain public respect also quote to maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives reality
00:51:39 reality to the historic tradition that the police of the public and the public are the police conduct of the sds has been the absolute antithesis of policing by consent we have therefore
00:51:54 of policing by consent we have therefore invited the inquiry legal team to review whether each and every redaction sought by the mps is in fact sufficiently justified we do hope that greater openness may be possible
00:52:02 possible particularly where the redactions conceal information regarding the discredited and abandoned technique which is at the very center of this aspect of the inquiry's investigations
00:52:14 investigations or whether concealment only concerns obsolete practices we invite this review because of the absolute importance to our clients of the inquiries investigations being open and transparent
00:52:26 open and transparent and then being able to participate as fully as possible
00:52:32 the evidence as it emerges is that the sds operated with impunity and with great confidence that the units and its managers would not be called upon to account for its actions this inquires great burden of courses to ensure
00:52:45 of courses to ensure that this expectation on the part of former sds officers does not spread its cloak over the means by which it may detect and expose police wrongdoing
00:52:57 wrongdoing a more open approach to information concerning these practices will we suggest assist the inquiry in discharging its functions
00:53:12 paragraph 23 of the 1973 annual reports pointed out that the risk of compromise could never be extinguished and that individual officers bore a quote
00:53:21 quote great weight of responsibility to maintain their cover through careful preparation of their quote political backgrounds cover addresses and employments and it went on to say that anticipating suspicion
00:53:35 suspicion so that periods when it was necessary to quote
00:53:38 quote live the life full time might be kept comparatively short this common sense guidance sits in stark contrast with the evidence the inquiry will hear
00:53:50 will hear from and about undercover officers in this phase in terms of their actual conduct on the ground
00:53:59 ground the inquiry will hear from officers who took scant interest in their own backstories whose preparation and attitudes were casual who recorded little and who recalled less
00:54:13 less from officers who left the expected professional standards far behind when they deployed into the field
00:54:23 it appears that the security services were available and did assist with the provision of fictitious cover identities and materials to underpin and make credible those identities on a few occasions no answers emerged from the phase 2 documents bundle
00:54:38 from the phase 2 documents bundle as to why the sds took what appears to have been
00:54:44 have been its own path as we have shown as late as 1972
00:54:46 1972 and 1973 the leadership of the sds was expressing confidence in the union's reliance upon fictitious identities the reason for the units switch to
00:55:03 the reason for the units switch to using identities of deceased children at this stage remains an unexplained mystery
00:55:13 the evidence to be heard in this phase of the inquiry is of grave importance to the bereaved families we believe that it will establish that reliance upon the identity of deceased children
00:55:24 upon the identity of deceased children became an adopted and embedded practice in the sds without any clear rationale our clients seek full scrutiny effective lesson learning and the implementation of tangible protections
00:55:36 protections against future abuses thank you very much sir thank you ms williams
00:55:42 williams and we will now have a 10-minute break until 11 o'clock when we will hear from mr scabie
00:55:49 mr scabie thank you thank you
00:55:56 we will now take a 10 minute break the time is now 10 50 a.m so we shall reconvene at 11 a.m thank you
01:07:25 welcome back everyone i shall now hand over to the chairman to continue proceedings chairman thank you mr scotty
01:07:38 thank you sir i appear along with piers marquis of darwin street chambers and uh paul herron of haram of the public interest
01:07:51 public interest law center and this is an opening statement on behalf of richard chessom and mary we represent four core participants who are directly affected
01:08:02 directly affected by undercover officers whose evidence is to be heard in this phase richard chessom and mary were spied upon by detective constable richard clark
01:08:14 richard clark and we are using his real name because it is one of the of the few that the inquiry has disclosed
01:08:22 disclosed every other officer that we refer to and there are many are referred to by their cover name we also
01:08:28 also represent lindsey german and john reese they were spied upon the very least
01:08:35 least by phil cooper and colin clark the evidence of other officers impacts
01:08:47 the evidence of other officers impacts directly on the socialist workers party the organization in which they held central
01:08:52 central committee roles we were directed to provide this written opening statement by the 14th of april 2021 that direction was made
01:09:09 2021 that direction was made on the basis the inquiry would disclose the evidence of these officers by the 4th of march 2021 that was not done
01:09:20 that was not done the material in respect of clark was not provided until the first of april 2021 at the time of writing the inquiry has still not served a witness statement from colin clark it has not served
01:09:34 from colin clark it has not served a single page of disclosure in respect of phil
01:09:38 of phil cooper we've asked that these officers be
01:09:41 be put back to the next phase to give those who were spied upon a chance to contribute the inquiry has refused thus denying
01:09:52 the inquiry has refused thus denying these people the opportunity to provide an opening statement before the evidence is given the inquiry has denied itself the chance of looking at that evidence from the perspective
01:10:07 from the perspective of those that were spied upon rather than those doing the spine it is obvious to anyone and plainly to this
01:10:15 this inquiry that late or non-disclosure inevitably restricts the ability of non-state core participants to review the material
01:10:35 participants to review the material investigate the detail and ultimately put forward their side of the story is this a deliberate policy despite the limitations that have been forced on us we will show that the special demonstration squad went
01:10:46 demonstration squad went far beyond its original remit that dc clark manipulated the dem the democratic processes of an organization
01:10:59 organization to place himself in a high position of responsibility from there he was able to destabilize and attempt to decapitate the organization we will show that to achieve that
01:11:24 we will show that to achieve that high position he used and exploited the trust of law-abiding citizens including four women victims of his manipulative sexual relationships we will show that in those positions of power those in positions of power metropolitan police were fully aware
01:11:41 metropolitan police were fully aware of his taxes we will show that clark's deployment served to direct the undercover offices that followed to take up organizational roles which then
01:11:51 then became the norm we will show that ultimately authority for all of this came from the highest level of
01:12:08 came from the highest level of government prime ministers were aware of the activity and read it of the special
01:12:09 special demonstration squad we will also draw attention to the evidence
01:12:16 evidence showing widespread black listing of individuals because of their political views and invite the inquiry to properly scrutinize
01:12:30 scrutinize this evidence and deliver a degree of belated justice to the victims you also demonstrate that the inquiry has the evidence to effectively
01:12:45 has the evidence to effectively challenge these officers when they try to justify their behavior we urge the inquiry to take the perspective and experience of the ordinary people that were spied on
01:13:05 that were spied on and directly make that challenge it has a duty to do so dc richard clark in december 1974
01:13:16 in december 1974 richard chessom and mary were students at goldsmith college mary was studying to become a teacher richard was finishing off a sociology degree
01:13:29 degree both were members of the college's socialist society intelligent people committed to helping others mary was 27 years old
01:13:44 27 years old she had come to the uk having grown up in south africa she had witnessed the state of the state violence and injustice of the apartheid regime
01:14:00 regime she campaigned on issues of anti-racism women's liberation civil liberties and free speech she was an elected student union officer devoting much of her free time to campaigning and helping others
01:14:16 and helping others richard chaston was 32 he'd been a methodist lay preacher working full time at the south london mission
01:14:24 mission he was involved in the fellowship of reconciliation an international movement committed to active non-violence to change the world
01:14:37 world for the better he'd worked as a political officer for his local labour party and been involved in the campaign for nuclear disarmament he demonstrated against
01:14:51 against the war in vietnam and against the passaic
01:14:55 passaic he joined the anti-internment league and organized
01:14:59 organized the lobbing of mps in the aftermath of the shooting of unarmed civilians by the british army on bloody sunday
01:15:10 sunday at around the same time in december 1974 dc richard layton club was deployed into goldsmith college by the special demonstration squad he was 29 married with children
01:15:24 he was 29 married with children a police officer for five years he stole the identity of a deceased child
01:15:35 child richard gibson from the records at somerset house he enrolled at the college on a porch at the college on a portuguese
01:15:46 on a portuguese language course clark's target was the troops out movement an interesting target from the from the perspective of this inquiry because
01:15:59 because it did not fit with the stated aims of the special demonstration squad the movement posed no public order risk
01:16:11 the movement posed no public order risk at all its aims were publicly stated and straightforward one self-determination for the people of ireland
01:16:19 ireland and two the withdrawal of british troops from northern ireland their methods were lobbying members of parliament drafting alternative legislation and raising awareness
01:16:32 raising awareness with the occasional low-key demonstration talks and film screenings the troop site movement had already been infiltrated
01:16:44 infiltrated as recent as 1974 by hn 298 mike scott who concluded that quote it had no subversive objectives and as far as
01:16:58 subversive objectives and as far as i'm aware did not employ or approve the use of violence to achieve its objectives close quotes scott was right
01:17:10 scott was right there was no history of any public order issue
01:17:13 issue related to the movement either before clark's employment
01:17:24 clark's employment or in the many years that followed so what was the justification d.c clarke is dead therefore we don't have a witness statement from him or the opportunity to ask him
01:17:38 him or the opportunity to ask him questions however we have had sight of disclosed reports that he wrote those alongside the evidence of richard chesson
01:17:55 richard chesson and mary we can gain significant insight into how he worked step one identifying a target organization first his remit was meticulously
01:18:06 first his remit was meticulously planned shortly before he was deployed he wrote to the national office of the troop site movement he told them he was a student of goldsmiths
01:18:18 goldsmiths and asked about any local southeast london branch that he could join he already knew that there wasn't one richard chaston had previously been
01:18:34 richard chaston had previously been involved with the anti-internment league and so was known to summon the national office of the troop site movement he had not become involved because he was studying hard and had recently been ill he had not joined and had no
01:18:45 joined and had no plans to do so nonetheless the national office
01:18:56 nonetheless the national office contacted richard chesson at a meeting was arranged between him and vlad by february 1975
01:19:08 vlad by february 1975 using the social society as a tool clark had succeeded in creating an entirely new branch of the troops out movement there were five founder members of that branch mary richard jessum
01:19:21 mary richard jessum chesson's partner another student
01:19:33 chesson's partner another student and of course dc richard clark himself clark had completed step one he was in the troops out movement but rather than infiltrating a branch he had actively established
01:19:46 established uh he had actually he had actively established one he generated something to spy on he encouraged and organized demonstrations
01:19:58 demonstrations such as the picketing of the local woolwich parrots and the homes of local mps this created the potential for public order
01:20:09 created the potential for public order problems that the special demonstration squad
01:20:09 squad supposedly existed to prevent he created targets to spy
01:20:21 prevent he created targets to spy to spy on neither mary richard chesson nor his partner had special branch files in their names until
01:20:29 until they became involved with clark richard chesson
01:20:33 chesson had come to special branches attention before
01:20:36 before because he had merely written a letter to the black dwarf publication but there was no file on him in all three of their cases
01:20:47 three of their cases their special branch files were tagged with 1975 as the year of their creation after they had met clark
01:21:06 what was the result of clark's work richard chess and mary had their personal lives reported and monitored to an extent that was both sinister
01:21:17 sinister and ridiculous details of their private lives
01:21:25 lives pass up the chain of command and along to mi5 their physical appearances commentary on their body size addresses personal relationships place of work hairstyles
01:21:47 place of work hairstyles immigration applications health issues what theater productions they went to where they were going on a holiday not into and who with right down to the brand of cigarette basement there was no reason for any of this
01:22:02 there was no reason for any of this none of these people posed a threat to anyone they were targeted first
01:22:13 to anyone they were targeted first because of their politics secondly they were useful and clark used them step two developing an identity and building trust
01:22:24 trust clark aimed to get himself into a position of trust and responsibility he managed to do
01:22:37 do exactly that what were his difficulties he had no back history he had just appeared
01:22:41 appeared so before he could engineer himself into a key
01:22:45 a key position he needed to establish a background for himself and a place in the social network of political activists
01:22:59 political activists that was step two he did that by exploitation mary is unequivocal clark used sexual advances on activists as part of a way of ingratiating his way
01:23:18 ingratiating his way into the group as a whole and building a back story he certainly did that with her clark initiated a sexual relationship with mary having been invited by her into her
01:23:29 by her into her home it was not just mary in total he had sexual relationships with
01:23:36 with four activists that we know
01:23:48 four activists that we know a pattern emerges from his reports we can see that clark exploited each one of these women to assist him with his infiltration of the troops out movement and
01:24:01 of the troops out movement and on at least one occasion to gain a tactical advantage the other three women were a friend of mary's
01:24:11 mary's who for the sake of anonymity we'll simply call mary's flatmate and two activists from the organization
01:24:25 activists from the organization big flame that was an additional target of clubs in the latter part of his deployment we will address these relationships as we go through the timeline dc clark's deployment the sexual relationship with mary and the establishment of a
01:24:49 with mary and the establishment of a close friendship with richard chester were part of a tactical strategy and helped him achieve step two step three taking positions and moving up the hierarchy of a target organization as one of the
01:25:00 target organization as one of the founded members of the southeast london branch
01:25:11 branch of the troop site movement clark used it to gain access to the national movement this was clark step three it was to prove
01:25:15 prove quite difficult but he managed it with an astonishing level of ruthlessness by the 18th of march 1975 clark had got himself elected as the secretary the top position
01:25:31 as the secretary the top position in the branch he and richard chester were then
01:25:36 were then elected as voting delegates the troop site movement liaison committee conference that move gave clark access to the movement at a national level and exposure to the leadership
01:25:50 and exposure to the leadership with the added credential being a branch secretary
01:25:54 secretary it ensured that he would be accompanied there by richard chesson a man with a proven track record of genuine
01:26:03 genuine commitment carl clark's cultivated friendship with richard chesson gave him credibility on both the 2nd and the 7th of april 1975
01:26:15 the 7th of april 1975 clark got himself elected as a delegate to the london coordinating committee of the movement and the all london meeting on the last of these occasions he had
01:26:28 on the last of these occasions he had chaired the branch meeting should taken place
01:26:31 place at richard chesson's home he was becoming known at a national level at a branch meeting on the 21st of april 1975
01:26:42 on the 21st of april 1975 he pointedly took an opportunity to in his
01:26:48 his own words and i quote severely criticize close quotes another section of the movement
01:26:52 movement it was a move that appeared to ensure that
01:27:00 that he was elected as the branch's delegate to the national coordinating committee of the troops out movement the 16th of june 1975 was a key date there was political division within the troop site movement
01:27:14 troop site movement that was replicated in the south east london branch the group workers fight had mobilized their members to the branch
01:27:25 their members to the branch in an attempt as far as richard jessen was concerned to take control of it there was significant political
01:27:36 of it there was significant political infighting at the meeting despite this clark was once again elected to be a delegate for the next london coordinating committee
01:27:48 coordinating committee but this time he was elected along with a member of workers fight where previously his position as a founding member had guaranteed his delegate roles the influx
01:28:02 his delegate roles the influx of workers fight members could make things
01:28:09 things problematic for him if they succeeded in completely taking over the branch then
01:28:12 then clark would no longer be able to attend the london and national meetings he would fail at step three on the 23rd of june 1975
01:28:24 of june 1975 again clark and the member of workers fight were elected this time as delegates the national coordinating committee four days later clark attended
01:28:37 four days later clark attended a private meeting organized by the head of the national troop site movement jerry lawless there were only 10 people in attendance there were people that were seen
01:28:49 were seen as key to supporting lawless's position the national movement against workers fight and the revolut revolutionary communist group to take control of the organization as a whole
01:29:03 whole clark was one of the ten he had used his attendances the london and national committee meetings to get close to lawless and was now seen
01:29:15 to lawless and was now seen as a key supporter in his report clark noted the group big flame had also formed and i quote an uneasy alliance
01:29:22 alliance close quotes
01:29:32 on the 7th of july 1975 at a branch meeting there was quote an unprecedented close quote turned with a number of additional attendees from workers fight in the revolutionary communist group one of those additional
01:29:44 of those additional attendees was mary's flatmate who was a member
01:29:45 member of workers fight she had attended various troop site movement pickets
01:29:54 pickets over the previous preceding weeks but this was her first attendance at a meeting the chances of clark continuing to be elected as a branch delegate
01:30:06 branch delegate to the london and national meetings were rapidly reducing as it was two months later on the 16th of september 1975 there was another meeting of the southeast london branch
01:30:22 southeast london branch this one was overwhelmingly attended by members of the revolutionary communist group and workers fight there was an election for delegates to attend the london coordinating committee meeting
01:30:34 coordinating committee meeting three days later this particular committee meeting was going to be an important one because it would select delegates that could stand for national positions
01:30:48 for national positions the two southeast london branch delegates would be potential candidates for those positions one member of workers fight was elected as a delegate
01:31:06 as a delegate for the remaining position clark stood against richard jessel and he was elected by an additional two votes this
01:31:17 additional two votes this is significant as we believe that one of those votes was from mary's flatmate a member of workers fight who conveniently clarke had been having a sexual relationship here
01:31:30 having a sexual relationship here the next day at a big flame meeting richard chesson lamented the takeover of the southeast london branch by members of workers fight
01:31:42 members of workers fight clark was present sure enough on the 19th of september 1975 at the london coordinating committee that clark was a delegate to
01:31:56 that clark was a delegate to he was elected to the organizing committee for london it was a national position he had now passed beyond branch
01:32:10 he had now passed beyond branch level politics clark had first stood against his friend richard chesson and in doing so an undercover officer had deprived the movement
01:32:18 movement of a national officer who genuinely had the interests and aims of the movement
01:32:32 the movement at heart clark had replaced a decent man richard chesson with himself an undercover police officer to get there he had secured the support we believe of at least one member of workers fight a female activist who he just happened
01:32:48 a female activist who he just happened to have been sleeping with by the 27th of september 1975 the workers fight takeover of the branch was complete
01:33:00 was complete with all five of the delegates elected to the troop site movement conference national conference being from that group including mary's friend
01:33:09 friend it no longer mattered to clark because he'd already passed beyond the branch he would be going to the national conference by reason of his new national officer role
01:33:22 officer role on the 13th of october 1975 he resigned the position of branch secretary he no longer needed it
01:33:30 it and made what he himself called in his report to his police superiors and i quote a scathing attack close quotes on revolutionary communist group and workers fight
01:33:44 group and workers fight richard chesson remembers that resignation differently he recalls clark simply saying a few words in a laid back and matter of fact announcement
01:33:56 announcement but that apparently and i quote principled resignation close quotes would demonstrate the national leadership of the troop site movement
01:34:08 site movement particularly jerry lawless that he was on their side that he was part of the and i quote fleek run by jerry laws close quotes
01:34:22 run by jerry laws close quotes in his new role on the organized on on the organizing committee of the troop site movement clark quickly became the london organizer
01:34:29 organizer nominated for the position by jerry lawless himself shortly afterwards he was again nominated by lawless this time for a position on the national secretariat he obtained this position
01:34:45 secretariat he obtained this position and was then one of only seven people in charge
01:34:46 charge of the whole movement he continued his relationship with richard chestnut primarily because he had friends in big flame
01:35:00 flame that organization had been notoriously difficult
01:35:01 difficult for the sds to infiltrate but clark was targeting it he continued to attend meetings at richard chesson's home
01:35:12 meetings at richard chesson's home and reported on him he recorded that richard chesson had started a new job at the london electricity
01:35:23 a new job at the london electricity board this information was passed to mi5 mary and her flatmate largely disappeared from clark's reporting now that they had served their purpose clark busied himself with activities in the troop site movement
01:35:38 activities in the troop site movement he became an organized of the national rally
01:35:41 rally where he failed to secure the attendance of any of the proposed headline acts they included john lennon who also had a special branch file open in his name
01:35:54 in his name and peter o'toole who may or may not have had a far held on clark also pushed for the removal
01:36:03 removal of the troop site movement press officer from the secretariat and then secured himself a position on the press committee
01:36:13 committee he arranged speakers for the movement's public meetings he even helped to arrange what was called quote a strong contingent of stewards close quote
01:36:24 quote to prevent attacks from the national front
01:36:28 front that was a legitimate protective measure yet
01:36:31 yet we expect to see those from youth against racism in europe the anti-nazi league and the socialist workers party criticized for the same thing in the later part of the inquiry by march 1976
01:36:47 of the inquiry by march 1976 the jury law was set to stand down for paternity leave clark took his position as convener of the secretariat he was then in charge of the whole movement for several months
01:37:03 what did clark do in this leading position
01:37:05 position we do know that he proposed and persuaded delegates to vote for postponing a long-planned troop site movement trade union delegation
01:37:18 movement trade union delegation to ireland a press statement was then prepared explaining that decision presumably by clerk in his additional position
01:37:27 position on the troop site movement press committee
01:37:32 committee we know that he used his position as national
01:37:42 to severely criticize close quotes another individual member whose name has been redacted and he was also involved in the century of sean
01:37:52 sean matt gamma a very prominent member of the troops out movement in the course of his stewardship at least one prominent organization
01:38:06 least one prominent organization withdrew its affiliation there was also serious dissent with the international marxist group over decisions taken in respect to the trade union delegation to northern ireland by the time jerry lawrence returned
01:38:18 lawrence returned four months later two members of the secretariat have resigned remember this was a serving metropolitan police officer working undercover making day-to-day decisions
01:38:28 decisions for a campaigning organization clark had also entirely repositioned his lancers
01:38:44 lancers having been an ardent supporter of lawns and using his support to maneuver himself into the secretariat he now turned against him in reports to his superior officers clark
01:38:51 clark referred to my quote typical lawless tantrums close quotes and on the 25th of july 1976 he took the highly unusual
01:39:02 1976 he took the highly unusual and hugely risky step of holding a meeting at his own police cover flat
01:39:13 a meeting at his own police cover flat the meeting with big flame members was and i quote attempting to offer some form of resistance to the leadership i.e lawless's supporters
01:39:24 supporters within the troop site movement close quotes
01:39:25 quotes they were discussing an internal coup decapitating the troop site movement of its
01:39:32 its long time head on the second of september 1976 a further meeting with big flame took the coup project further
01:39:45 the coup project further clark noted in his report at the time and i quote independent elements within the troop site movement have over recent months become increasingly frustrated
01:39:56 frustrated at carrying out the doctrine of the quote
01:40:00 quote lawless clique big flame members in the troop site movement have been instrumental in bringing together some of the more influential members of the organization in the hope of formulating a common policy
01:40:12 policy with which to fight the leadership at the next
01:40:16 the next national delegate conference due to take place in late november clark described like the meeting as
01:40:27 clark described like the meeting as quote a significant beginning the major aim of those represented would would have to be the defeat of the present leadership and the replacement of them by independent members close quotes
01:40:38 by independent members close quotes the new leadership was proposed at that meeting it included four redacted names and clark himself what were his motives
01:40:50 himself what were his motives was it to destabilize and decapitate the troop site movement was he trying to ingratiate himself with big flame
01:40:58 flame perhaps his plotting was a means of doing that he had spent the summer trying very hard to infiltrate infiltrated sharing meetings
01:41:10 meetings listing himself as a member in reports clark also embarked on sexual relationships with two female members of the big flame
01:41:24 the big flame for him sexual relationships were a tried and tested tactic of getting exactly
01:41:25 exactly where he wanted to go he had used mary to give himself a background an authority her flatmate to ensure a vote to get him
01:41:38 to get him up to national level the troop site movement
01:41:42 movement and two big flame activists to try to cement his position in that group in the process
01:41:55 in that group in the process firming up support for his coup however with big flame clark had overreached himself
01:42:00 himself we do not know exactly what his mistake was
01:42:04 was was it holding a meeting in his unlived in
01:42:08 in undercover flat or was it as another officer suggested that he gave different accounts or his background to
01:42:19 different accounts or his background to big flame activists he was sleeping with perhaps it was that his machiavellian approach was just too obviously dishonest perhaps as richard chesson suspects
01:42:32 perhaps as richard chesson suspects big flame were canny enough to recognize that clark had no political background knowledge
01:42:37 knowledge whatever it was members of big flame also
01:42:37 also went to somerset house and they found rick gibson's birth certificate and then they found his death certificate
01:42:48 certificate they confronted clark with both which cheshire tells of how he heard about this confrontation from his friends in big flame
01:42:59 friends in big flame how he went white and nearly started to cry his ambitious plot to unseat jerry jerry lawless was over
01:43:12 jerry lawless was over so what was the fallout clark took flight and disappeared from the political scene altogether richard chaston later saw dossier the big flame to prepare
01:43:23 big flame to prepare that included a letter from clark written to one of the female activists saying that he and i quote that he had to go away close quotes
01:43:38 to go away close quotes clark's exposure is significant for one other clear reason when he walked out there was no threat of physical violence towards him
01:43:50 of physical violence towards him and no attempt retribution a standout theme across the groups were infiltrated over the decades is that
01:44:05 that none of them were interested in violence unless they had to defend themselves if there was ever a reason and an opportunity for violence against an undercover officer
01:44:09 officer this was it
01:44:15 it was not how these groups who stood for principles conducted themselves this example highlights the sds attempts to justify their infiltrations
01:44:26 infiltrations and their applications to have their identities hidden they look desperately inadequate
01:44:39 they look desperately inadequate were the commanders and commissioners of the mps the metropolitan police service aware of what was going on clark's taking of high office was known to his superiors
01:44:50 to his superiors all the way up to the commander of the metropolitan police service the early principle of special demonstration squad and i quote that members of the squad should be
01:45:03 should be told in no uncertain terms that they must not take office in a group chair meetings draft leaflets speak in public or initiate activity close quotes
01:45:17 activity close quotes that principle had been completely abandoned
01:45:18 abandoned equally the fact that he engaged in sexual relationships with activists was no secret either two officers to date
01:45:31 date have been honest enough to disclose that they knew
01:45:35 they knew of dc clark's behavior one of those officers has gone further and admitted that sexual relationships were talked about at the weekly officer meetings and that his supervising officers
01:45:49 his supervising officers would have been aware because they were present he recalls two separate occasions occasions when
01:46:01 two separate occasions occasions when clark's sexual relationships were raised at those meetings he thinks that other officers and managers were present on both occasions it was inevitable that they would talk about it police officers
01:46:13 officers in an almost exclusively male environment relaxed with their guards down amongst their own in the late 1970s when institutionalized sexism was endemic
01:46:27 endemic to suggest otherwise will be to turn a blind eye
01:46:31 blind eye to reality it is refreshing to see that at least
01:46:32 at least officer coates told the truth but how many will pretend they did not hear
01:46:42 hear or were out of the office on those days or simply when presented with simple questions get angry
01:46:49 angry and indignant that they're being asked at all
01:46:53 at all counsel to the inquiry has an abundance of material to test these offices thoroughly
01:47:04 to test these offices thoroughly should offices lie on oath as sadly is anticipated one wonders how the inquiry will deal with such dishonesty senior officers knew about clark
01:47:16 officers knew about clark taking prominent roles and interfering in the democratic process of the troops out movement they also knew
01:47:25 knew he was sexually abusing female activists despite this he left the force with a special medal a detective inspector's pension
01:47:43 a detective inspector's pension and his conda certified as quote exemplary unquote there is only one explanation for this his conduct was deemed acceptable it continued
01:47:51 continued for years the category h women are testament to the decades
01:48:08 women are testament to the decades of sexual misconduct at the hands of these officers following clark the taking of positions of responsibility and trust in these organizations was commonplace many of the officers we will hear from
01:48:19 hear from say that they cannot remember being elected to the position of trust that they were plainly elected to or they will say they did not really have a choice
01:48:28 choice but to be elected it just happened or they say that the road was not really a position of trust at all the institutionalized
01:48:43 at all the institutionalized dishonesty creeps into every aspect of their evidence political policing and positions of trust
01:48:53 trust and here are a number of examples of officers obtaining such senior positions mike james hn 96 started his deployment of the socialist workers party
01:49:04 of the socialist workers party where he was elected to put to a position on the hackney district committee
01:49:09 committee after two years he moved on into the troop site movement where clark had been four years before james is an interesting officer because he's
01:49:25 interesting officer because he's one of two that give different accounts of the position they reached in his impact statement a document arguing the case for his continued anonymity he described himself as the national
01:49:42 he described himself as the national secretary of the troop site movement i.e the top row once his anonymity was secure he shifted and tried to play down and minimize the importance of his position
01:49:54 the importance of his position he was the national membership and affiliation secretary of the troop site movement for a good 18 months
01:50:02 months he's one of the officers that seems to suggest that he just happened to fall into these roles rather than
01:50:07 than actively pursuing them but he was on the top level of the organization the national theory committee
01:50:18 national theory committee which he occasionally chad he was one of nine people with a direct influence over the direction of the movement and he controlled the lifeblood of any organization
01:50:38 of any organization its membership he was also on a number of additional committees specifically tasked
01:50:38 tasked with organizing demonstration but it was not just clark or james
01:50:50 but it was not just clark or james once the dam had cracked there was a flood of undercover police officers taking roles in the organizations they infiltrated in some cases officers took national leading roles what resulted from this was not just
01:51:04 from this was not just information but also the opportunity to have a say in the direction of the organization and ultimately to seek to derail
01:51:16 to seek to derail that organization hn 348 sandra davis has already said that she did not remember
01:51:27 did not remember being elected to the executive committee of the women's liberation fund she didn't remember voting to ice the founding leader and create a completely new group the revolutionary women's union
01:51:39 revolutionary women's union hn155 phil cooper and hn 80 colin clark was so close to the central committee of the socialist workers party
01:51:51 the socialist workers party that they were able to access the headquarters of the organization phil cooper was so involved that in his own words
01:51:58 own words he got to sleep and i quote with groupies we don't yet know exactly how prominent they came they became within the organization
01:52:11 within the organization because six weeks after the deadline for the flow disclosure the inquiry has still not provided us with their documentation hn 200 roger harris
01:52:24 harris does not remember being the contacts organizer for the twickenham branch of the international socialists a branch which was then involved in a destabilizing breakaway
01:52:37 involved in a destabilizing breakaway from the main group to form the workers league
01:52:45 league hn 300 jim pickford chaired meetings attended national conferences as a delegate
01:52:46 delegate wrote articles ran classes argued against individuals being granted membership
01:52:58 membership he was granted position of branch treasurer
01:52:59 treasurer he booked halls for meetings hn 13 barry loader was described by his own
01:53:10 own superior officers officer in an internal memo
01:53:11 memo and i quote as an active and trusted member of the communist party of england marxist leninist who's to attend the national conference
01:53:22 national conference hn 353 gary roberts claims he was never in a position of responsibility for the international marxist group however his cover was as a
01:53:35 however his cover was as a full-time degree course student at thames polytechnic with his fees paid for by the metropolitan police whilst in that cover he became the vice
01:53:48 whilst in that cover he became the vice president of the student union he was a delegate at the national union of students conferences and attended the international marxist group caucuses at those conferences involved in the selection of i quote of
01:54:00 selection of i quote of so-called revolutionary candidates he does not remember being trusted enough
01:54:10 enough by the international marxist group to be asked
01:54:13 asked to be a delegate to be a delegate on overseas trips including to romania which was then in the eastern bloc
01:54:24 the eastern bloc france and belgium and i quote on behalf of the international marxist group leadership close quote he says he must just have been the driver he has no recollection of being on
01:54:35 he has no recollection of being on any of the many committees that his reports say he was clearly on hm 354 vince miller was elected as a district treasurer
01:54:48 treasurer and on the social committee of the outer east london district branch of the socialist workers party he resigned from his position to mark and i quote the disorder and
01:55:00 to mark and i quote the disorder and ineffectiveness close quotes within the branch
01:55:04 branch resignation combined with strong criticism
01:55:13 criticism is deliberately destabilizing to the organization hn 296 jeff wallace was elected as the flame organizer for the socialist workers party hammersmith and kensington branch
01:55:27 hammersmith and kensington branch and a socialist workers party organizer he attended the london regional delegates conference and was one of the three organizers of the anti-nazi league carnival
01:55:41 league carnival we do not know what he would have to say about any of this because there's no statement from him not because of death or ill health but because
01:55:56 because the inquiry has not got hold of him because he's abroad in the asia telecommunications it seems strange they have not been able to track kendall
01:56:06 kendall in an inquiry of this obvious importance hn 351 jeff slater cannot remember being the socialist worker
01:56:16 worker newspaper organizer for the north london district
01:56:21 district of the international socialists hn 356 bill biggs was the branch treasurer of south east london socialist workers party
01:56:27 party chaired meetings and became the socialist worker organization for the branch
01:56:35 branch at an aggregate meeting for the southeast district he voted as a delegate on a proposal to condemn
01:56:41 condemn a decision taken by the central committee he spoke as a guest speaker at another branch's meeting and was the branch treasurer the socialist workers party
01:56:59 socialist workers party brixton branch hm126 paul gray became socialist worker paper organizer for cricketwood branch and then for the whole of the northwest district
01:57:06 district he was on the district committee which had control over all three of the branches that the district covered he was re-elected in 1979
01:57:21 he was re-elected in 1979 and 1980 he chaired meetings he was on the organizing committee of the west hampstead anti-nazi league and the north west london and the northwest london anti-nazi league coordinating committee
01:57:32 coordinating committee he was also a delegate to the camden against racism committee he says he doesn't remember any of the last rules he says his role as socialist worker part paper organizer was
01:57:44 was collecting newspapers and dropping them off
01:57:49 off basically he was just a delivery boy with a van that is a major difference from the story he gave when he was trying to secure his anonymity
01:58:01 anonymity like mike james above paul gray's risk assessment plays up his role and in his case states that he was a key organizer in the gronin-wick dispute
01:58:13 gronin-wick dispute a strike with a national coverage uh with national coverage and importance at the time with his anonymity secure he is rolled back from that now so what is the truth
01:58:31 socialist workers party and political policing
01:58:36 policing it is clear in respect of the troop site movement both clark and james reached the very top none of the officers in the socialist workers party have been very helpful about what their positions of trust
01:58:47 positions of trust and responsibility involved of course at the time they made their statements that there were no core participants or witnesses
01:58:59 witnesses from the socialist workers party in this inquiry
01:59:03 inquiry they could safely describe their roles as they wanted with no risk of their credibility being undermined that position changed on the 2nd of march 2021 when three former central committee
01:59:17 when three former central committee members of the socialist workers party secured core participant status between them lindsay german john reese chris nylon had four decades of experience
01:59:32 experience on the central committee from 1979 to 2009
01:59:36 2009 because they are late comers and the disclosure from the inquiry has been woefully late they will not be able to be as involved as they need to be
01:59:44 to be until phase three however they can assist at this stage
01:59:56 they can assist at this stage in respect of the structure of the party and the roles that the infiltrating officers obtained the last four officers that we have mentioned was slater bix and gray all
02:00:10 slater bix and gray all have positions as socialist worker organizers critically they were organizers but they were more than that
02:00:19 than that the socialist worker was the organization's newspaper it was the scaffolding of the whole organization the newspaper was a major source of
02:00:31 was a major source of income for the organ for the organization and key to recruiting new members it was the political mouthpiece of the organization
02:00:43 organization through which they communicated their politics
02:00:50 politics with the public the sale of the paper was also a regular flash point for public disorder with sellers regularly attacked by members of the national front the socialist worker newspaper was understood by these officers
02:01:04 understood by these officers to be the central component of the organization as a whole the role of organizing that paper was absolutely
02:01:16 organizing that paper was absolutely pivotal at branch level the organizer was second only to the branch secretary at district level the rule was even more critical
02:01:25 critical the district newspaper organizer along the district secretary would be the link between the central committee and the members these two rows were responsible
02:01:37 responsible for setting the political line within their district every single week they decided what the paper sellers in the district would speak to the public about
02:01:49 public about the socialist work and newspaper organizers had responsibility trust and authority they had a direct role
02:01:55 role in shaping the progress of the party
02:02:08 these officers knew that poor gray even reported to his superiors that he had been spoken to in public by the national socialist worker organization he was told
02:02:15 told that every and i quote every organizer should know exactly where each paper was sold every week
02:02:22 week and that spot checks should be made on members
02:02:25 members to see that paper sales were being carried out gray was given the list of selling techniques and told to visit all of the branch offices regularly
02:02:39 offices regularly and i quote constantly remind them that to sell the paper is the most important duty of an swp member close quotes at that time the state of the socialist
02:02:50 state of the socialist workers party nationally was at an all-time low membership and paper sales were down the north west london district where gray was second in command
02:02:59 command was characterized by and i quote apathy a year later having done the job for two years
02:03:06 years he was replaced this is one clear example of an officer taking a role of responsibility and trust
02:03:20 trust and willfully undermining the organization by not doing the job properly three things stand up first from clark onwards
02:03:32 onwards every officer in this phase took a position of trust the only exception was hn 304 graham coates he was unable to take a position in
02:03:43 position in any hierarchy simply because he infiltrated anarchist groups and they did not have hierarchies in different ways these officers
02:03:55 officers all impacted on the progress or direction
02:03:58 direction of the organizations they infiltrated from taking a role that deprived a genuine member of the chance to do a committed job to destabilizing and even decapitating the organizations
02:04:11 the organizations there is a distinct lack of honesty about the role they played or the extent to which their superiors were
02:04:16 were aware blacklisting a direct effect of political policing the question of blacklisting
02:04:29 policing the question of blacklisting we've raised this in richard chesson's statement and our first opening statement to date there have been no answers we just have the bare fact of the correlation between
02:04:47 clark opening the file and passing richard chessman's details mi5 and his subsequent inability to secure any significant job despite his education
02:05:03 significant job despite his education decency intelligence lack of criminality the door was closed not
02:05:22 of available having the details of their employment passed up the chain to mi5 each time their political affiliation is included
02:05:35 included next the note of their employment union memberships are also regularly noted people targeted are those in the public sector
02:05:47 sector or public service jobs such as working for a local council nhs doctors hospital workers senior priests
02:06:06 hospital workers senior priests post office workers a job applicant with hm customs and excise a social worker and a probation officer and numerous teachers
02:06:10 teachers reports on a traffic warden and a public office clerk even include details of their sexuality many of the officers
02:06:22 sexuality many of the officers say that these were just little details to
02:06:22 to quote update files close quote occasionally there will be an officer who gives a more realistic
02:06:34 who gives a more realistic answer equating the undercover officer interest in employment with preventing problems in workplaces
02:06:46 preventing problems in workplaces problems like the democratic right to strike people campaigning for fair pay health and safety conditions both special branch mi5 was specifically asking for employment details on individuals the sds
02:07:04 on individuals the sds obliged we know that at least one member of the socialist workers party was sacked from a government body simply because of her political opinion both her name and the nature of the government body had been redacted by the inquiry we also know
02:07:21 by the inquiry we also know that both mi5 and special branch were confident
02:07:22 confident that her sacking would not be traced back to the undercover officer that had caused it
02:07:42 attempts by officers to justify their deployment with information being freely and regularly passed the metropolitan police police's sds squad mi5 this brings us to our next point in this opening statement
02:07:52 statement the question of justification there was no public order rationale for the infiltration of the troop site moved there was no
02:08:08 moved there was no rationale for the spying and reporting on richard chesson and mary there have been attempts by officers to justify
02:08:18 justify infiltrations of campaigning and political organizations many of those justifications relate to the socialist workers party because of time limitations we'll have to address
02:08:30 address most of the detail beginning of phase three however some aspects have to be raised now so that the inquiry is then in mind
02:08:41 that the inquiry is then in mind for the future as far as graham coates was concerned the socialist workers party and i quote were
02:08:49 were very dull closed quotes these deployments were not designed for officers entertainment it is assumed he means dull from a policing
02:09:00 policing perspective mike james said that the socialist workers party were not engaging in subversive activities that most members were quote entirely peaceful close quotes and there were some elements that looked
02:09:15 and there were some elements that looked quote to engage in in violence at events close quotes but he accepted that these were involved in a breakaway group
02:09:29 group the socialist workers party did not promote violence the party had a rigorous policy expelling members who engaged in squaddest confrontational violence mike james knew the breakaway group
02:09:42 mike james knew the breakaway group red action had actually been expelled because he had reported on it generally we accept these particular assertions of these two officers where officers go
02:09:56 these two officers where officers go beyond that for example as we set out below
02:09:59 below we dispute their evidence we hope that it will be appropriately challenged by council to the inquiry in respect of one particular officer we do make
02:10:09 do make some observations paul gray has made a number of remarks about the socialist workers party
02:10:20 socialist workers party in particular about levels of subversion and violence that are plainly not true first of course they are contradicted by a number of his fellow officers
02:10:34 a number of his fellow officers secondly they are entirely unsupported by evidence he gives a grossly exaggerated account of the demonstration grover square
02:10:47 of the demonstration grover square in 1968. when he was a uniformed officer he then asserts that he experienced the same level of violence in the course of his undercover deployment
02:11:00 deployment he is clearly lying in the hundreds of pages of his reports there is no reference to him witnessing any violence paul gray claims that his lack of
02:11:08 lack of reported violence is because the sds only provided advanced
02:11:19 the sds only provided advanced intelligence he says they did not provide
02:11:22 provide reports on violence orders or disorder they had witnessed only on violence or disorder they were expecting
02:11:38 expecting that is a very convenient explanation for a total lack of such evidence it is simply a lie it is clear that sds officers did
02:11:53 it is clear that sds officers did give retrospective intelligence about public order events we can see that from officers who did witness such events
02:11:56 events it is also clear that despite his demands paul gray did give retrospective intelligence from a policing perspective it's common sense it would be valuable intelligence if targets
02:12:10 intelligence if targets were actually involved in violence or disorder
02:12:15 disorder the difficulty that paul gray faces is that his retrospective reports show no violence or disorder at all one report
02:12:31 at all one report shows a single arrest for nothing more than obstructing a police officer there are no reports of violence witnessed nor of any expected violence either his allegations are post-event attempts at justification
02:12:43 attempts at justification grey and i quote is extremely angry close quotes there's been disclosure of how
02:12:51 how the sds operated that this has led to this inquiry he says that his time undercover had no impact whatsoever on his quote welfare
02:13:07 whatsoever on his quote welfare but that answering questions for this inquiry
02:13:08 inquiry is impacting on his welfare that is because he now has to justify the fact that in reality he visited himself
02:13:20 in reality he visited himself with pointless and personally intrusive reporting in one report on a member of the socialist workers party
02:13:32 member of the socialist workers party he spent two whole paragraphs dealing uh detailing private sexual behavior another is solely dedicated to reporting on a member who was employed as a tax officer and as he made was and i quote
02:13:43 he made was and i quote was believed to be a homosexual close quote for someone so interested on reporting
02:13:54 reporting the sexual relationships of others he is surprisingly
02:14:05 surprisingly silent on the sexual relationships that his fellow officers had with activists he was in the special demonstration squad with vince miller mike hartley alan bond and phil cooper
02:14:16 alan bond and phil cooper he emphasically denies any knowledge of their
02:14:17 their sexual activity and maintains the conduct of his contemporaries was and i quote
02:14:26 quote exemplary one of the features of this phase is the number of reports on school children gray reported on more children than any other officer
02:14:38 children than any other officer recording the minutiae of their lives and sending them onto mi5 almost all of those reports have
02:14:46 have have photographs of the children attached
02:14:50 attached he reports on a 15 year old school girl 15 and 13 year old school girls and their parents in two separate reports he describes the photograph school boys quote
02:15:05 the photograph school boys quote as effeminate pose quotes in one report he comments on how much time a school boy spends at his girlfriend's house the closest grazer ever comes to reporting on
02:15:17 reporting on violence is his note that a schoolboy had a fight with his brother these children were either the children of socialist workers party members
02:15:30 of socialist workers party members or children who were engaged enough with their society to be part of the school kids against the nazis
02:15:41 nazis and to justify this he reverts to type and suggests that these children were either subversive or violent on behalf of lindsey german and
02:15:53 on behalf of lindsey german and genres who were well aware of the actual activities of school kids against the nazis we dispute that entirely in the course of paul gray's deployment column 88
02:16:07 paul gray's deployment column 88 was threatening to to burn down the homes of swp members the national front were attacking
02:16:12 attacking bengalis in brick lane smashing up reggae record shops and graffiti
02:16:23 up reggae record shops and graffiti mosque masks they were burning down at indian restaurants and murdering young men like altab ali and ishaq ali in white chapel
02:16:38 and ishaq ali in white chapel and hackney whilst they were doing that gray and his so-called exemplary
02:16:51 gray and his so-called exemplary sds colleagues were writing about what they refer to and i quote as jewish finance of the anti-nazi league i quote a negros activist an activist with it and i quote large jewish news and i quote colored hooligans
02:17:07 and i quote colored hooligans such language and views that are beneath contempt instead of investigating the racist fire bombing that killed
02:17:21 bombing that killed 13 young black people in new cross the sds were reporting on school children
02:17:22 children and providing mimi 5 with copies of socialist workers party babysitting roses the question of government
02:17:37 roses the question of government and cabinet knowledge several of the phase two officers refer to visits to the sds safehouse by the commission of the mets police
02:17:48 commission of the mets police one refers to congratulationary messages straight from 10 downing street another who himself went on to become detective chief inspector was told and i quote that the continuation of the unit
02:18:01 continuation of the unit was one of the first decisions that a new home secretary had to make that anecdotal evidence is supported by the 1976 authorization for the special demonstration squad's
02:18:16 demonstration squad's continued existence it was signed off by robert armstrong later baron armstrong of illminster he was
02:18:35 illminster he was cabinet secretary and head of the home civil service between 1970 and 1975 he'd been the principal private secretary to two prime ministers ted heath and harold wilson it's difficult to imagine a more highly placed
02:18:53 placed civil servant in a statement provided to phase two of the inquiry by witness zed the security services themselves confirmed and i quote the pressure to investigate these
02:19:04 quote the pressure to investigate these organizations often came from the prime minister and whitehall close quote so there can be no doubt now that the existence and functioning of the sds
02:19:15 the sds was known of and authorized at the very top it is interesting that every annual application for funding
02:19:27 every annual application for funding refers to the offices fully recognizing and i quote the political incense the political sensitivity of the unit's existence accompanied by assurances that
02:19:40 assurances that all necessary steps have been taken to ensure security
02:19:47 authorization is only ever granted my quote
02:19:51 quote in view the assurances given about security
02:19:55 security close quote in other words as long as you can promise us we will not get caught you
02:20:09 we will not get caught you can carry on this fixation on security is important first successive governments were well aware of the need to keep the extent to which they were spying on law-abiding civilians
02:20:16 civilians absolutely secret secondly governments were repeatedly told that a significant part of the i quote security
02:20:29 quote security close quote effort involved the creation of
02:20:30 of watertight cover stories and false identities from at least 1975 every officer is clear that the use
02:20:44 every officer is clear that the use of a dead child's identity was the only authorized way to create a viable backstory there is no realistic way
02:20:55 there is no realistic way that government could not have known that this
02:20:56 that this method have been comprehensively adopted the conclusion of that aspect of this
02:21:03 this inquiry must be that the government endorsed the use of deceased children's identities and the metropolitan used them specifically
02:21:22 specifically to ensure that government was protected that is a damning enough conclusion in itself
02:21:30 itself but the inevitable consequence from that is critical the metropolitan police service
02:21:36 service were protecting the government from what they referred to the 1977 annual report as and i quote embarrassment there is nothing embarrassing for a government
02:21:47 government about spying to prevent crime but the destabilizing of democratic movements the wholesale
02:21:58 of democratic movements the wholesale and widespread intrusion on law-abiding civilians
02:22:01 civilians and their exploitation for political advantage
02:22:03 advantage that is worth keeping secret this inquiry has been set a challenge to get to the truth
02:22:18 to get to the truth this means asking difficult questions again and again to uncover the truth ordinary people
02:22:29 to uncover the truth ordinary people have been involved in campaigns for a better
02:22:34 better society for social equality anti-racism anti-fascism against apartheid and for trade union rights
02:22:51 rights the best of reasons and the best of traditions we hope the inquiry is ready willing and equipped to meet that challenge the inquiry must be fearless
02:23:08 must be fearless and unfinishing in the pursuit of the truth the people of this country expect nothing less
02:23:19 nothing less thank you mr scabie um we will now have a break of a quarter of an hour which by my timing
02:23:28 my timing uh takes us until just after uh half past the hour and we will hear from mr melon
02:23:39 we will now take the 15 minute break the time is now 12 20 so we shall reconvene at 12 35.
02:26:21 but your timing is much better today
02:31:58 sorry hello all right just going to pop you into your room robs how's my how's my wi-fi connection is it strong enough yeah it looks fine okay good now because i mean i'm at the old bailey in a private room i just wasn't sure how good it was
02:32:12 it was all right no it looks fine there you go just accept that invite please
02:32:45 these things
02:33:18 okay
02:33:32 fancy
02:33:46 transfection
02:34:00 okay
02:42:30 welcome back everyone i shall now hand over to the chairman to continue proceedings chairman thank you very much mr man
02:42:40 thank you sir can i just check that you can see and hear me i can indeed thank you um can i also apologize in advance
02:42:51 apologize in advance if whilst i'm speaking there there's the odd tannoy message that can be heard in the background i'm in a room um in court and there's nothing i can do to disengage the terrorist system unfortunately please don't worry yourself um but for the fact that i can mute my
02:43:04 the fact that i can mute my self you might hear some agricultural noises off stage thank you sir good afternoon from the outset of the undercover policing inquiry the
02:43:16 policing inquiry the non-state corps participants have been raising concerns about the state's obsession with secrecy and anonymity
02:43:23 anonymity about the importance of openness and transparency about the inability of the non-state core participants to participate effectively about the inquiry's approach to restriction orders
02:43:36 restriction orders witness selection and documentary redaction
02:43:42 redaction and the absence of any meaningful right of appeal against its decisions about these matters and about late disclosure that does not afford
02:43:51 afford nearly enough time to prepare properly for opening statements and evidential hearings
02:43:58 hearings for the avoidance of doubt we recognize the enormity of the many tasks facing the inquiry team the difficulties caused by the pandemic and the undoubted obstacles being placed in
02:44:09 in the inquiry team's path by others we note for example the recent challenge of the designated lawyer officers group in the administrative court by way of judicial review to an unknown decision by the inquiry chairman
02:44:23 by the inquiry chairman the non-state corps participants remain completely in the dark as to the nature of this challenge or the legal or factual basis for the court's decision in allowing the challenge as the court's
02:44:35 in allowing the challenge as the court's two paragraph open judgment is devoid of detail
02:44:40 detail this is yet another stark example of how so much of the business of what is supposed to be a public inquiry happens behind closed doors
02:44:47 doors with the non-state corps participants having no seat at the table
02:44:52 we reiterate what many of the non-state corps participants keep repeating namely that an inquiry into undercover policing
02:44:58 policing without the effect of participation of those targeted spied on and infiltrated by the secret state is an inquiry not worth having
02:45:09 state is an inquiry not worth having nevertheless we remain ready and willing to try
02:45:13 to try and assist as best we can by raising what we believe are the fundamental issues that arise from the tranche one phase two disclosure and proposing what we believe are the necessary questions that should be asked of those witnesses
02:45:24 be asked of those witnesses who are due to give evidence last november we made an opening statement on behalf of
02:45:30 behalf of numerous individual and organizational non-state core participants during the tranche one phase one evidential hearings that followed the inquiry heard evidence from two
02:45:43 the inquiry heard evidence from two non-state corps participants both of whom we represent tariq ali was the only non-state corps participant to give oral evidence ernie tate could not attend for reasons of ill health
02:46:00 of ill health but his statement was read into evidence sadly ernie who was one of the founding members of the vietnam solidarity campaign
02:46:01 campaign in 1966 passed away in february there are many moving tributes to him on the internet just to give one example the canadian historian brian palmer
02:46:16 historian brian palmer said that and i quote ernie tate was a literate and cultured man able to reflect engagingly on art and literature film and music he could build a cottage and renovate a house
02:46:32 and renovate a house organize a demonstration engage a crowd and convince others of the need to use their particular talents to fight for a better world we remain in contact with ernie's widow jess mckenzie who hopes that this inquiry will do justice to ernie's memory
02:46:47 justice to ernie's memory in tranche one phase two of the inquiry i together with russell fraser of council and richard perry of saunders solicitors represent piers corbin
02:46:58 solicitors represent piers corbin now 74 years old his recent notoriety as a speaker at anti-lockdown protests up and down the country shows he has not given up his activism and still retains the energy of his youth
02:47:10 youth he was one of the original applicants for core participant status and was designated by the inquiry as long ago as october 2015. he will be giving evidence on the 28th of april some
02:47:27 of april some some five and a half years after having been granted call participant status before we address you sir um on the secret state's particular interest in pierce corbin we would like to make seven
02:47:37 seven general points about the material disclosed in the tranche one phase two hearing bundle and the inquiry's approach to witnesses redactions and disclosure
02:47:50 to witnesses redactions and disclosure point number one what literally screams out
02:47:56 out from the pages of the current hearing bundle is the fact that the primary focus
02:47:59 focus of the special demonstration squad hereafter referred to as sds was never the protection of parliamentary democracy or the prevention of public disorder whatever the undercover officers on the
02:48:13 whatever the undercover officers on the ground who were deployed by the sds may have been told by their superior officers and may have genuinely believed the primary focus of the sds was to spy
02:48:24 the primary focus of the sds was to spy on individuals and organizations because of their ideas and their politics it was their ideas and their politics that were deemed quote unquote subversive to the british state
02:48:34 state and a threat to the british establishment it was their ideas and their politics that led to political support and financial backing for the sds
02:48:46 sds being authorized by the very highest echelons
02:48:53 echelons of both the police and the government the limited public disorder during street protests for example during the odd skirmish with the national front that some of the undercover officers who
02:49:04 that some of the undercover officers who were spying on socialists and anarchists described in their witness statements was largely minor and low level it certainly did not justify the spying on an industrial scale that was unleashed on the british public in the 1970s
02:49:17 in the 1970s or the consequent cost to the public purse
02:49:23 purse furthermore it is fanciful to suggest that any of the relatively small political groups that were infiltrated by sds officers directly or indirectly posed a threat to parliamentary democracy
02:49:36 parliamentary democracy we are still waiting for mi5's annual threat assessments to be made public these could make interesting reading just to give two examples of sds
02:49:48 just to give two examples of sds intelligence reports that demonstrate the real priorities we submit of special branch and mi5 a 21-page report on an international marxist group and spartacus league conference in may 1972 and a 55-page report
02:50:05 in may 1972 and a 55-page report on the national img conference in august 1976.
02:50:08 1976. we've provided the references in our written opening statement these reports detail the different currents and tendencies within the img summarize the many debates that took place at the conferences
02:50:22 place at the conferences and provide the names and registry file references of those in attendance what the reports singularly lack is anything touching upon the protection of parliamentary democracy
02:50:34 parliamentary democracy or the prevention of public disorder in short
02:50:37 short as we said in november in our opening statement then the sds was engaged in secret political policing
02:50:44 policing and pure intelligence gathering against the left
02:50:49 the left at times orwellian at times more monty python
02:50:55 python in so far as it is suggested that the police particularly in the 1970s and 1980s
02:50:59 1980s were politically neutral that is palpable
02:51:03 palpable nonsense what minimal sds spying there may have been against fascist groups was very much an afterthought despite right-wing extremism and widespread racist violence being serious social problems
02:51:17 serious social problems that plagued our communities throughout the 1970s and 1980s in the wake of enoch powell's infamous rivers of blood speech in 1968 this is not the propagation of a partisan anti-police narrative
02:51:34 of a partisan anti-police narrative this is fact we should never lose sight of the fact that the british secret state's addiction to harvesting and retaining massive amounts of personal information on its targets
02:51:47 on its targets was on par with anything practiced by more notorious secret states internationally this is reflected in the witness statements of many sds officers in which they admit gathering as much information as possible
02:52:00 information as possible however personal however trivial because it was for others higher up the chain of command to decide what was relevant point number two the most significant
02:52:11 point number two the most significant document in the tranche one phase two hearing bundle we believe is the statement of witness zed on behalf of the security service mi5 that confirms what we asserted in our opening statement last november
02:52:25 opening statement last november namely that the sds has always from the very beginning been subordinate to mi5 this corporate statement merits careful reading and thorough scrutiny
02:52:36 thorough scrutiny even if at times it paints a distorted picture
02:52:37 picture a glaring example of this is the assertion that special branches role is limited to issues of law and order whereas special branch whatever its guidelines might say
02:52:53 guidelines might say has in fact throughout its history been primarily focused on the policing of ideas
02:52:56 ideas astonishingly witness zed is not being called to give evidence we cannot understand why what a wasted opportunity there is so much that witness zed could have been asked
02:53:08 have been asked about the respective roles of special branch and mi5 within the apparatus of the secret state about the minutiae of their relationship about mi5's 1972 definition of subversion
02:53:20 subversion as and i quote activities threatening the safety or well-being of the state and intended to undermine or overthrow parliamentary democracy by political industrial or violent means
02:53:34 by political industrial or violent means about how most if not all of those spied on by the sds could not possibly be described as subversive according to that definition about how a group who wants
02:53:47 group who wants a road closed as a play street for kids or a group who wants to keep public transport cheap or a group who wants to stop abortion rights being undermined could present a public order threat even obliquely
02:53:57 obliquely let alone a threat to parliamentary
02:54:08 democracy about how the secret state itself undermines the very fabric of our democratic institutions point number three sir although there are on our count
02:54:21 are on our count 18 sds officers were deployed during this relevant period whose cover names have been disclosed and who are alive the inquiry is only calling eight of them to give evidence
02:54:33 them to give evidence that is said to be sufficient for the purpose of discharging the inquiries terms of reference an exhaustive investigation being neither necessary nor proportionate for that purpose of the remaining 10 officers the
02:54:46 of the remaining 10 officers the evidence of seven will be summarized the attendance of all 10 has been excused
02:54:51 excused either at your direction sir and or for reasons of ill health and or because the witnesses live outside the jurisdiction and are therefore not compellable
02:55:02 and are therefore not compellable the 1970s was a critical period in the history of the sds the inquiry we submit would be assisted by as much evidence as possible from as many
02:55:13 many sds officers as possible we do not agree with respect that it would be unnecessary or disproportionate to induce a greater breadth of evidence as was apparent during
02:55:25 as was apparent during tranche one phase one witnesses when questioned by council about matters that took place decades ago
02:55:35 ago sometimes remember unexpected details that do not feature in their witness statements in the circumstances it's unfortunate that the inquiry is not hearing from more sds officers during this transient phase point number four
02:55:51 this transient phase point number four we are dismayed by the inquiry's change of approach to fully anonymous sds officers whose real names and cover names have been restricted
02:56:06 restricted unlike tranche one phase one when the redacted witness statements of two fully anonymous sds officers were disclosed
02:56:07 disclosed the open evidence of seven fully anonymous sds officers in tranche one phase two has been redacted to
02:56:18 one phase two has been redacted to an eight-page group gist we are told that some
02:56:21 that some but not all of these officers will be called
02:56:25 called later this year to give evidence in closed session as others have observed the group gist that has been disclosed is in our opinion unsatisfactory in many respects
02:56:39 respects it is so brief and thematic that it is difficult to glean anything meaning of meaningful from it as to the true nature and extent of the spying by the individual officers or who precisely they each targeted and what precisely their age did
02:56:51 what precisely their age did during their deployments we do not understand how the inquiry can suggest that a group just like this enables the publication of
02:57:02 publication of more evidence than would otherwise be possible
02:57:06 possible by divorcing the evidence from specific association with identifiable officers the logic of this escapes us we're being asked to accept that the more that is hidden from us the more that we are being told
02:57:20 that we are being told in any event why change the approach adopted during tranche 1 phase 1 by introducing something even more restrictive was it to reduce the purported risk of mosaic identification
02:57:33 mosaic identification and if so at who's behest we trust that during future tranches and phases the inquiry will revert to its earlier approach
02:57:43 approach and disclose redacted witness statements from fully anonymous witness as opposed to relying on another unsatisfactory group just like this
02:57:54 like this point number five what is immediately apparent from the disclosed witness statements of the sds officers is that many if not most of their original intelligence reports are not in the hearing bundle we had assumed that this was because
02:58:08 we had assumed that this was because the records of sds reporting provided to the inquiry by the metropolitan police services poland police service excuse me
02:58:18 excuse me were incomplete as indicated in council to the inquiries addendum disclosure note regarding tranche 1 dated the 25th of march this year however the written opening statement of the designated lawyer officers group paints a different picture
02:58:32 paints a different picture alleging that it is the inquiry that is only releasing a small selective fraction of a fraction as they put it of the sds intelligence reports that it has been provided so what is the truth are the records of
02:58:46 so what is the truth are the records of sds reporting provided to the inquiry by the metropolitan police service incomplete because they have because the these records have been destroyed and shredded over the years
02:58:57 shredded over the years or is the inquiry withholding most of the the sds records that is it has been uh provided and hence so much is missing from the hearing bundle or is it both we would welcome some clarification
02:59:10 clarification additionally we are told that many of the sds records that have survived and have been provided labeled ucpi as opposed to mps by the inquiry in the hearing bundle
02:59:23 hearing bundle are only in existence because copies had been retained by mi5 this suggests that not just the sds which shut down in 2008 but the special branch registry itself has been getting rid of
02:59:38 has been getting rid of its files that is worrying for obvious reasons
02:59:44 reasons interestingly whilst mi5 is apparently happy to disclose copies of police documents
02:59:45 documents they are rather more circumspect in disclosing any of their own documents that might reveal the natural extent of their own spying operations
02:59:59 their own spying operations on political activists and others point number six redactions what has been apparent ever since we started re receiving disclosure from the inquiry last year
03:00:10 inquiry last year is the sheer extent of documentary redaction
03:00:13 redaction particularly on grounds of national security
03:00:14 security most frustrating and we have raised this on several occasions already to no avail is the redaction of the names of many groups spied on and
03:00:27 groups spied on and infiltrated by the sds between 1969 and 1984.
03:00:32 1984. these names should be as a matter of public record surely none of them should be redacted how can it be justifiable for an inquiry into undercover policing to withhold the names
03:00:44 names of groups spied on and infiltrated by the secret state more than 35 years ago in 2013 the government began to release its records to the national national
03:01:00 its records to the national national archives that were at least 20 years old so why can we not know all the names of the groups spied on and infiltrated by the sds at least
03:01:07 least up until the year 2000 what is the state hiding what is the inquiry hiding surely the public interest in full and frank disclosure outweighs any other potential interest given the inquiry can protect
03:01:22 inquiry can protect the right to privacy of any police spies by restricting disclosure of their real names
03:01:25 names by hiding the names of some of the targeted groups the inquiry is effectively preventing members and supporters of those groups from coming forward and telling their stories what effect
03:01:36 and telling their stories what effect this does this have on the confidence of non-state corps participants and the public at large in the inquiry's work in the sds annual reports between 1969 and 1984
03:01:51 and 1984 some 133 group names have been redacted while some of the same groups undoubtedly feature on multiple occasions
03:01:58 occasions there are on any view a huge number of groups who were spied on and infiltrated during this period whose names are apparently to remain secret forever at the insistence of the very organizations
03:02:09 very organizations who were doing the spying and the infiltrating in the first place this is madness this is an abject failure of openness in the name of national security
03:02:22 national security the worst years were 1973 with the names of 19 groups have been redacted in 1979 when the names of 24 groups have been redacted most of the redacted names appeared to belong to maoist
03:02:34 maoist anarchist and irish groups however there are others too including trotskyist anti-fascist and anti-nuclear groups
03:02:46 anti-nuclear groups such voluminous reduction is driving a coach in horses through the inquiry's primary objective of getting to the truth
03:02:47 truth we call for all these names to be unredacted as it is in the public interest to know the names of all the groups who were spied on and infiltrated by the sds more than 35 years ago there is
03:03:04 more than 35 years ago there is simply no justification for such secrecy point number seven sir late disclosure we appreciate that this has been raised over and over again by us and others but i think it's important
03:03:16 and others but i think it's important enough that it needs to be raised again we are simply not being given enough time to read and digest the disclosed material
03:03:24 material before having to make opening statements and prepare for evidential hearings we were supposed to receive the entirety of the current hearing bundle by the middle of march on the first of april over a thousand pages of documents were added
03:03:37 pages of documents were added and on the 9th of april nearly 1100 pages were added we understand the difficulties we are genuinely sympathetic however this is unfair to all core participants
03:03:50 participants but particularly to the non-state corps participants given the bulk of the material being disclosed consists of police documents never seen previously by the non-state corps participants or their lawyers
03:04:02 their lawyers we can only hope that this problem is not repeated in future tranches and phases turning then sir to pierce corbin back in 2015 when he was granted core participant status
03:04:15 he was granted core participant status he had no idea about the extent of the spying on him even in april last year when he made his 79 79-page inquiry witness statement he had only been provided with 53
03:04:28 he had only been provided with 53 special branch intelligence reports most of which were relatively unrevealing and no witness statements from any of the undercover police officers who had spied on him still less any photographs of those officers to help him recollect events
03:04:42 officers to help him recollect events that took place between 40 and 50 years ago
03:04:44 ago pierce corbyn's witness statement will become publicly available on the day he gives evidence he would like to attend the inquiry venue in person to answer questions
03:04:56 venue in person to answer questions but that has not been allowed because of the pandemic and so he will give evidence virtually video streamed and video recorded for posterity
03:05:04 posterity like most other non-state co-participants mr coleman has always been open and upfront about his politics and has nothing to hide in contrast with the former undercover police officers who hide behind anonymity
03:05:17 who hide behind anonymity and object to their evidence being video streamed and video recorded it has been said many times before but bears repeating an audio stream is a poor substitute and the failure to keep video recordings
03:05:32 and the failure to keep video recordings is a disservice to the historical record so why was pierce coleman
03:05:42 so why was pierce corbin of interest a special branch in mi5 it was over 50 years ago in 1969 that a registry file was first opened on him a file to which he has never had access and never will be given access
03:05:57 access and never will be given access mr corbin was president of the imperial college union at the time he was politically active he attended rallies against the vietnam war in 1971 he joined the international marxist group and attended numerous meetings and
03:06:11 and attended numerous meetings and demonstrations about the burning issues of the day including ireland anti-fascism anti-racism and trade union struggles for better pay and conditions
03:06:23 for better pay and conditions in 1972 he was instrumental in setting up the squatters action council and the london squatters union and he played a key role in the victory of the elgin avenue squatters all of whom were re-housed by the greater london council
03:06:38 greater london council squatting was a response to the lack of affordable housing in london especially for young people but was also a way of trying to establish a new type of community in the form of communal living
03:06:52 communal living in 1982 piers left the img and joined the labour party the year before his brother jeremy was elected as a member of parliament for islington north in the 1980s he was active in the fair fight campaign to keep down the cost of public
03:07:07 to keep down the cost of public transport in 1986 he became a labour councillor in southwark for four years what has pierre call piers corbin learned from the current hearing bundle about the spying on him by the sds that he did not know previously
03:07:20 that he did not know previously unfortunately sir almost nothing firstly none of the eight sds officers due to give oral evidence mentioned mr corbin in their witness statements although one of them
03:07:36 statements although one of them namely hn298 who used the cover name michael scott mentions mr corbin in one intelligence report as having been present at a meeting about ireland in 1974 that he attended
03:07:52 ireland in 1974 that he attended secondly the two sds officers who do mention mr corbin in their witness statements albeit only in passing namely hn299342 who used the cover name dave hughes and hn
03:08:07 hn 353 who used the cover name gary roberts are not giving oral evidence their evidence is being summarized thirdly although the inquiry gave mr corbin photographs to view from the 1970s
03:08:19 1970s of three sds offers the three sds officers excuse me none of these officers had spied on mr corbin so
03:08:26 corbin so unfortunately this was a pointless exercise
03:08:30 exercise by contrast the inquiry has not given mr corbin photos to view from the 1970s of any of the sds officers who actually did spy on him in particular the inquiry has not given
03:08:42 in particular the inquiry has not given mr corbin a photo to view from the 1970s of hn
03:08:43 of hn 338 an sds officer who attended three small political meetings at
03:08:50 at mr corbyn's actual home in january march and june 1972. we've provided the references of those intelligence reports in our written opening statement
03:09:05 written opening statement hn 338 is deceased his real name is restricted and his cover name is apparently not known
03:09:13 known fourthly although mr corbyn was granted core participant status by the inquiry on the basis that he was one of the main organizers of squatting groups in london between 1972 and 1982.
03:09:26 between 1972 and 1982. inexplicably his squatting activism barely features in the intelligence reports in which mr corbin is named in short what has been revealed by the disclosure unfortunately
03:09:43 disclosure unfortunately is a damp squib what would tell us far more about the secret state's interest in pierce corbyn is obviously his registry file and that's what mr corbyn wants to see but nobody ever gets to see their
03:09:54 but nobody ever gets to see their registry file not even during a public inquiry into undercover policing unlike his friends in germany who were given access to their stasi files in the 1990s after the collapse of communism in the former eastern east germany mr
03:10:07 in the former eastern east germany mr corbyn will sadly remain none the wiser about the full nature and extent of the british secret state's interest in him why will the british state not reveal
03:10:21 why will the british state not reveal and not release pierce corbyn's registry file even after decades have passed if only to mr corbin himself and no one else
03:10:30 else why is the inquiry unable to compel the state to do so notwithstanding its broad powers
03:10:42 notwithstanding its broad powers is it because most spying is in fact so tedious and so routine and so unnecessary that any sensible citizen might question why so much taxpayers money is being wasted
03:10:55 wasted or is the state afraid of something else we will never know because i'm afraid the inquiry is never truly going to be allowed to penetrate the edifice of secrecy at the heart of our
03:11:02 our surveillance society
03:11:12 i'm sorry while secrecy continues to trump
03:11:16 trump openness the inquiry will only scratch the surface however interesting and revealing some of the redacted documents it is disclosing undoubtedly are in conclusion sir there are two further points we wish to make
03:11:28 are two further points we wish to make in light of recent developments firstly the designated lawyer officers group in its written opening statement expresses concern about what
03:11:40 about what tariq ali said in evidence about the killing of blair peach and pierre pierce corbin said
03:11:51 and with face coverings throughout the building
03:11:55 building and are encouraged to wash or sanitize hands frequently thank you for your cooperation i'll just repeat that sentence sir firstly the designated lawyers officers group in its written opening statement expresses concern
03:12:09 expresses concern about what tariq ali said in evidence about the killing of black peach and piers corbin said in his witness statements about the killing of kevin gately
03:12:16 gately the inquiry's function it is submitted by the designated lawyers officers group is to generate light not heat and that we should all guard against the making of inflammatory allegations however
03:12:28 however emotive or sensitive the subject however tragic what happened however appalling the lack of police accountability let's go back to basics blair peach was
03:12:40 let's go back to basics blair peach was killed by a police officer mr writer of council said it yesterday and i repeat it today that is the truth there is nothing inflammatory or contentious about saying that on the contrary to pretend otherwise
03:12:55 on the contrary to pretend otherwise to describe the blow that killed blair peach without acknowledging that it was a police officer who struck that blow
03:13:00 that blow makes a mockery of history as does denying the subsequent cover-up by the police the coroner and the home office as tariq ali told you in november sir when he gave evidence
03:13:13 when he gave evidence he too was on the receiving end of police violence in southall on the 23rd of april 1979. he was hit on the head with a police truncheon and knocked unconscious
03:13:29 truncheon and knocked unconscious he described it as he described that as and i quote like a leaf taken out of colonial police a colonial police manual in india during the days of the british raj as far as the events in red line square on the 15th of june 1974 are concerned
03:13:45 on the 15th of june 1974 are concerned whether you believe that lord scarman's exoneration of the police was just another establishment whitewash or not
03:13:52 or not there is nothing inflammatory or contentious about saying that kevin gately died from a head injury likely caused by a blunt hard object
03:14:05 likely caused by a blunt hard object that was the pathological evidence there is nothing inflammatory or contentious about
03:14:10 about saying that mounted police officers were striking at the heads of anti-fascist protesters in red line square with their truncheons there are photographs in the public domain
03:14:19 domain that show exactly that happening and there were other protesters present in red line square with the injuries to prove it consequently it is hardly surprising you may think so that many including pierce corbin believe that
03:14:34 including pierce corbin believe that kevin gately was struck on the head with a police trencher as opposed to any of the less likely alternative explanations posited over the years finally
03:14:46 posited over the years finally the latest delay of tranche 1 phase 3 until
03:14:47 until 2022 and tranche 2 until 2023 as i'm sure you appreciate sir there is universal dismay and anger amongst the
03:14:59 universal dismay and anger amongst the non-state corps participants about this latest
03:15:00 latest setback which on any view plays straight into the hands of those who benefit from delay namely those who want to preserve the secret state
03:15:14 secret state at all costs it's obvious the longer the delay
03:15:19 delay the longer that most non-state call participants will have to wait for disclosure the more evidence that will be lost the more witnesses who will die the more witnesses who will become too ill to participate
03:15:31 ill to participate the more difficult it will be for the inquiry sir to get to the truth as one non-state co-participant described it this is yet another slap in the face when are those who were spied on in the
03:15:45 when are those who were spied on in the 1980s and subsequently going to receive disclosure when is the inquiry going to finish when is there going to be accountability is there a realistic plan or is the
03:16:01 is there a realistic plan or is the inquiry being kicked into the long grass we ask the inquiry to reconsider any further delay justice delayed is just as denied thank you thank you mr mellon um we're now going to have about an hour's break for lunch
03:16:15 hour's break for lunch because you have finished a little earlier than you were allowed which i'm grateful we will resume at a quarter past two not twenty past two thank you very
03:16:34 much we shall now take an hour's break for lunch proceedings will resume at 2 15 pm
03:18:29 you