Fury at high st chain’s vile slur against police
‘Hang your heads in shame’
HIGH Street cosmetics chain Lush was condemned yesterday after it launched an ‘anti-police 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 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 anti-capitalist 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.’
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.
Former Met chief inspector Peter Kirkham accused Lush of running an ‘anti-police hate campaign’.
‘Your anti-police advertising campaign is an utter disgrace,’ he wrote on Twitter.
‘It stereotypes ALL police officers as corrupt.’
Chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council Sara Thornton said: ‘We 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 caused significant trauma.’
But she added: ‘This campaign from Lush UK is insulting and damaging to the tens of thousands of officers who place themselves in harm’s way to protect the public, 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 vicechairman 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, called it ‘a crass and insensitive campaign’.
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. Who do Lush call when they have a shoplifter, their staff are abused or 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 the officers 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 officially apologised to eight women whose rights had been violated. Theresa May set up a public inquiry into the scandal in 2015.
However, Lush has joined women who were fooled by the officers in criticising the way it is being handled.
Mr Constantine was 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.’
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.’