HIGH ST CHAIN’S VILE SLUR ON POLICE
Home Secretary’s fury at anti-police shop window campaign by Lush stores (owned by a Corbyn backer)
HIGH Street cosmetics chain Lush was condemned yesterday after it launched an ‘antipolice hate campaign’.
The home Secretary, crime chiefs and a police widow were among those ‘appalled’ by the company’s astonishing decision to put photos of police officers under the words ‘Paid to Lie’ in its shop windows to draw attention to the so-called ‘spy cops’ scandal.
They said the ‘ crass and insensitive campaign’ – approved by the chain’s Jeremy Corbyn-supporting co-founder Mark Constantine – stereotypes all police officers as corrupt and ‘ includes some fundamental misrepresentations of the facts’.
In a bizarre stunt, Lush is supporting the Police Spies Out of Lives campaign for women who were duped into relationships by undercover officers who infiltrated anticapitalist and green protest groups over a 40-year period.
In the window displays of Lush’s 105 outlets, a split-face image of a police officer in uniform and undercover appears under the headline ‘Paid to Lie’. Mock crime scene police tape also carries the phrase ‘Police have crossed the line’. Similar materials are promoted on the Lush website.
home Secretary Sajid Javid condemned the chain, saying: ‘never thought I would see a mainstream British retailer running a public advertising campaign against our
hardworking police. This is not a responsible way to make a point.’
The campaign argues the deception by the undercover officers led to the systemic, institutional sexist abuse of female activists – some of whom had officers’ children – and has criticised the inquiry into the scandal.
The retailer’s decision to support the campaign was driven by environmental activist Rebecca Lush. Miss Lush has no relation to the origins of Lush but advises it on how to support activists.
It was given the go-ahead by Lush co-founder Mr Constantine, who holds Left-wing views and has appeared on stage with Jeremy Corbyn.
But the controversial move saw the chain accused of smearing all police officers.
Security minister Ben Wallace described the campaign as ‘desperate and pathetic’.
He said: ‘The vast majority of undercover police officers risk their own safety to keep people safe. It is not an easy job but without them vital intelligence would not be available to put criminals behind bars.’
Former Metropolitan police chief inspector Peter Kirkham accused Lush of running an ‘anti-police hate campaign’.
‘Your anti-police advertising campaign is
‘Not a responsible way to make a point’
an utter disgrace,’ he wrote on Twitter. ‘It stereotypes ALL police officers as corrupt & includes some fundamental misrepresentations of the facts.’
Chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council Sara Thornton said: ‘ We fully accept that some undercover policing operations, ethics and behaviour in the past were a violation of the victims’ human rights, an abuse of police power and d caused significant trauma.’
But she added: ‘This campaign from Lush UK is both insulting and damaging to the tens of thousands of officers who place themselves in harm’s way to protect the public on a daily basis, and who have nothing at all to do with the undercover inquiry.’
The head of the National Crime Agency, Lynne Owens, warned Lush had undermined public confidence in the police, while vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales Che Donald suggested people boycott the retailer.
The Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands, David Jamieson, said: ‘This is a crass and insensitive campaign ... Lush have needlessly waded into a highly complex area.’
Meanwhile Christine Fulton, whose police officer husband Lewis was stabbed to death while on duty in Glasgow in 1994, said: ‘I am appalled at the campaign by Lush, the police service should be supported and respected.
‘Who do Lush call when ... their stores broken into? Hang your heads in shame.’
The officers at the centre of the spy cops scandal were part of the Special Demonstration Squad, a unit within the Metropolitan Police’s Special Branch tasked with infiltrating various protest groups over 40 years. Some of those involved were disciplined or sacked and the unit was shut down in 2008.
Compensation of £400,000 has been paid to one woman who had a child and the Met has apologised to eight women whose rights had been violated.
Theresa May set up a public inquiry into the scandal in 2015. But critics claim it has given some of the officers involved anonymity, while the police are allegedly keeping ing the full details of which groups were infiltrated a secret.
Miss Lush said: ‘When Theresa May launched this public inquiry we all hoped that the truth about this scandal would finally be exposed and that the disgraceful police tactics would be examined. Instead, the public inquiry chair is making the inquiry more secretive and is granting the police anonymity in secret hearings. It is time the Home Secretary listened to the victims and appointed a diverse panel to hear the full evidence.’
Mr Constantine – a herbal trichologist – was also critical of the way the inquiry is being run, saying: ‘Confidence in the police will never be restored until this public inquiry does its job.’
He has previously made cash donations to the successful election campaign of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset, Martyn Underhill, a former police officer. Mr Underhill, who ran as an independent, backed the Lush campaign. He said the deployment of the undercover officers in these cases was ‘disproportionate and distasteful’, adding: ‘I do support Lush in exposing this issue.’
Last night Lush said: ‘To clear this up, this isn’t an anti-police campaign, it’s to highlight the abuse that people face when their lives have been infiltrated by undercover police.