Restoring credibility to the spy cops inquiry

After a dramatic walk out by campaigners and their legal teams, the inquiry into undercover policing is struggling to retain any credibility. I asked the Minister what action they would take.

By my calculation, there have only been four years out of the last twenty-five when an undercover police officer was not in a state funded sexual relationship with a female campaigner. These are just the ones that we know about.

Bob Lambert deployed between 1985 -1988, left behind  ‘Jacqui’ with their toddler son. He also left behind an 18 month relationship with Belinda Harvey.

John Dines’ in the years 1987 – 1992.

Andy Coles deployed between 93 – 95 allegedly had a sexual relationship with a 19 year old activist, which lasted a year.

Mark Jenner, lived with a woman for five years during 1995 -2000.

Mark Kennedy was deployed between 2003 -2009 and had a long term relationship during this time.

In January we learned that Rick Gibson, who worked for the Special Demonstration Squad in the 1970s, is accussed of having had at least two sexual relationships, possible four, with campaigners during his deployment.

Given the regularity of these events, Ministers need to recognise that forming sexual relationships was used as a deliberate tactic by undercover officers over very many years.