Society
Urban life - Darcus Howe stumbles but does not fall
Published 21 November 2005
For decades the police have sought to break every rule that aims to keep them in check
By the time you read this, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, will have delivered his Richard Dimbleby Lecture, "What kind of police force do we want?", and a small group of us will have chewed the fat with him over dinner, post-lecture.
As well as inviting me along, the BBC asked me for a quotation that could be used by David Dimbleby, chair for the evening. The Beeb wanted more of a personal view than a political rant. I offered: "He [Ian Blair] has mastered the art of appearing to stumble without falling."
Sir Ian went to the lectern after a huge defeat by MPs, who rejected his request that police be allowed to keep suspected terrorists banged up for 90 days without charge. Armed with a dossier, officers from Scotland Yard and throughout the nation had sought to cajole the Commons into believing that 90 days was absolutely necessary. But Sir Ian could never in a million years convince me.
I have been tied up with the British police for nigh on 40 years: eyeball to eyeball in street protests, in interview rooms, in and out of cells, just yards across courtrooms. And I am no criminal, never have been. For the ten years when I was always on bail, the police were determined to put me in prison only because I questioned the abuse of black and brown citizens' rights. And throughout these decades, they have displayed an insatiable hunger for an extension of their powers; for the right to break or circumvent every rule that aimed to keep them in check. And they've got away with it because they, the police, have been on the front line protecting the great and the good from the invading hordes.
Until recently I believed Sir Ian had broken with the past, but he has succumbed to the resistance of the old guard. He and others have underrated the traditions of dissent that have kept the challenges to our civil liberties at bay. Unless he makes an about-turn, he will stumble on and, inevitably, come crashing down. So, where should Sir Ian begin? The next time he is summoned to Downing Street, he should tell his namesake he's not coming.
Post this article to
We want to encourage people to comment on our content and to exchange views with other readers and hope this will be done on a courteous basis. However, if you encounter posts which are offensive please let us know by emailing comments@newstatesman.co.uk and we will take swift action where necessary.
