Britannia Radio

The extraordinary nonsense that has excited the meejah all day is 
shadow boxing in the extreme.   The basic facts were that - as the 
BBC reported
"The head of Britain's anti-terror squad Bob Quick - one of Britain's 
most senior policemen -  says they tried to undermine his inquiry 
into Home Office leaks, which led to MP Damian Green's arrest"

This arose from a Mail on Sunday story which caused near panic in the 
Quick family with his children being moved to get away from the 
press.  Assistant Commissioner Quick said he was forced to move his 
children out of his home amid security fears after a newspaper 
published details about his wife's business yesterday.

In comments suggesting the Conservatives were behind the article, the 
senior officer claimed the party and its supporters were "mobilised" 
against his investigation.

As head of the Home Office leaks inquiry, Mr Quick approved the 
controversial arrest of Tory frontbencher Damian Green and the raid 
on his parliamentary office on November 27.

  David Cameron promptly sought  a retraction after he claimed the 
Tories had mobilised the press against him.    Quick rapidly 
retracted his statement and the Tories said that was the end of the 
matter and made soothing noises about what a wonderful policeman 
Quick is.  ---Dominic Grieve, Shadow Home Secretary said that many of 
the concerns his party had were directed at what he saw as the Home 
Office's politicisation of the police, rather than with the police 
themselves.

"We have in the past expressed some criticism but mainly directed 
against the Home Office and various Home Secretaries about the way in 
which they have sought to draw the police into the political arena," 
he said.."
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Now that all seems wrapped up and tidy -  except it shouldn't be!    
Firstly -Quick is a candidate to take over the top job of 
Commissioner in the footsteps of the disgraceful Ian Blair who 
thoroughly demoralised the Metropolitan police   Is he the right man 
to do the job?  In his Counter-Terrorism role what on  earth was he 
doing acting on behalf of the Labour Party's attempts to stifle 
criticism of the Home Office.  They keep telling us that Terrorism is 
a growing threat yet they can involve a whole large squad of 
specialist coppers to pursue something which is not even a criminal 
offence even if proved!!  Was that cool judgement on his part?    For 
'cool judgement' is vital in a Counter-terrorism role.  .

His reaction to the MoS story was not cool,  it was panic-driven as 
is evidenced by his hasty retraction.  Mmmm?  'Cool judgement' is 
vital in a Counter-terrorism role.  The 'overkill' in his pursuit and 
arrest of Damian Green was more an attempt to get his way by 
intimidation than careful detective work.   Was it not stemming from 
political bias on his part?   For he was one of the senior policemen 
actively "selling" the 42 day detention in support of the Home Office 
and it is being said that he is trying to get his own back for failing.

There will be a political outcome to this for clearly his actions 
have made him totally unsuitable to be a senior commander of part of 
the Met, let alone its head.    He cannot be cool in an emergency and 
is an example of bias and of authoritarian tendencies.

The Tories should not let it rest for one thing is certain,  the left-
wingers in the country will not.    Nicholas Watt in the Guardian 
today, writing after the retraction and its acceptance, says "I'm 
going to get him this time' - what one Tory said about Bob Quick
Despite Dominic Grieve's acceptance of the Met counter-terrorism 
chief's apology this morning, it is clear that the Conservatives are 
at war with senior figures in the force.

Mr Watt, with the accuracy for which the Guardian is notorious,omits 
to draw attention that the remark he quotes was not made today but 
much earlier at the time of Green's arrest.    Let's have less 
hypocrisy please.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  cs