Has peak woke really passed at the Met?

Posted by Guessedworker on Wednesday, 14 October 2020 20:16.

I understand that the following is reported by the DT, raising the question as to whether the Met is rowing back on its persecution of David Starkey and Darren Grimes:

Police set to review investigation into Darren Grimes and David Starkey over YouTube comments
Scotland Yard has said a senior officer would be looking at the investigation to see if it was “proportionate”

The Metropolitan Police is reviewing its investigation into Darren Grimes and Dr David Starkey in connection with allegations of stirring up racial hatred, it can be revealed.

Scotland Yard has contacted both the conservative commentator and the historian to inform them a senior officer would be looking at the investigation to see if it was “proportionate” and that they are not required to attend a police station at this time.

The decision to investigate Mr Grimes for broadcasting an interview with Dr Starkey has led to widespread condemnation since it was revealed by the Daily Telegraph last week.

In the interview published on Mr Grime’s Reasoned UK YouTube channel on June 30 the historian said: “Slavery was not genocide, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many damn blacks in Africa or in Britain would there?”

... Mr Grimes told the Telegraph: “This vexatious claim against me should never have been investigated. At a time when many have been propelled into misery, it is a gross abuse of taxpayer cash and police time.

“I will be requesting a copy of the CPS advice that led to the intervention irrespective of whether they proceed or not, the dangerous precedent of broadcasters and journalists facing arrest and up to seven years imprisonment for ‘stirring up’ racial hatred as a consequence of what a guest said during an interview must not stand.

“We need an urgent review of the unprecedented use of this legislation to attack press freedom.”

A source close to Dr Starkey said “David’s supporters are delighted that common sense has at least temporarily prevailed”

One suspects that conservatives, along with reactionary historians, will sleep safer in the knowledge that the Metropolitan Police will probably not come knocking on their door because some slimy little pencil-neck in a Liverpool bedsit has exercise his citizen’s right to complain about “racism”. Nationalists, however ...

Tags: British Politics, Cultural Marxism

Comments:

Posted by Guessedworker on Wed, 21 Oct 2020 16:47 | #

The answer to the question appears to be yes:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8863741/Scotland-Yard-DROP-race-hate-probe-Darren-Grimes.html

Scotland Yard has dropped its ‘race hate’ probe into journalist Darren Grimes and historian David Starkey after ill-judged remarks were made during an interview given at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests.

... the Met Police’s decision to investigate them under the Public Order Act sparked a freedom of speech backlash from politicians including Home Secretary Priti Patel, Tory backbencher Sajid Javid and former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron.

Lord Macdonald, a former Director of Public Prosecutions, slammed the ‘sinister and foolish’ decision of the police to investigate the pair, calling it a ‘political stunt’.

Journalists including Douglas Murray, associate editor of The Spectator magazine, and Toby Young of the Free Speech Union also lined up to blast the ‘absurd’ probe.

Scotland Yard then retreated from its decision to investigate them, announcing that it was reviewing the case to ensure it was ‘proportionate’.

Today, the Met Police wrote to Mr Grimes and Dr Starkey to confirm that the case has been dropped ‘following an initial investigation and CPS advice’.

... The Met Police’s South-West Basic Command Unit (BCU) – led by Chief Superintendent Elisabeth Chapple [a white female - Ed] – was pursuing Mr Grimes for allegedly stirring up racial hatred in an interview with Dr Starkey.

Chief Supt Chapple joined Scotland Yard as an entry level superintendent in November 2014, having previously held down roles in Human Resources across the banking and finance sector.

She was head of HR for the People Delivery Team at Santander before joining the Met. Prior to that she had a 13-year career working for accountancy firm KPMG.

On joining the Met, Chief Supt Chapple became the force’s spokeswoman for the Notting Hill Carnival, announcing knife arches at the event in 2018 and warning officers not to dance with revellers last year.

She took over running the London South West BCU, which has 1,300 officers working the boroughs of Wandsworth, Kingston-upon-Thames, Merton and Richmond, from Chief Supt Sally Benatar who retired after 39-years with the force at the start of September.

The investigation into Mr Grimes was launched at the end of September – a few weeks after Chief Superintendent Chapple had taken over.

I understand that the DT rounds off its report of the development thus:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/10/21/met-police-drop-race-hate-investigation-darren-grimes-dr-david/

Baroness Fox of Buckley, the former Conservative MEP, said: “Sweet victory. For once a victory for free speech, press freedom and common sense. And it couldn’t have happened without a genuine public outcry as well as support of the Free Speech Union”.

She said she was pleased for Mr Grimes “but even more pleased for all of us and the cause of liberty”.