Bid to force an apology for a hero hounded by police
New pressure on top officer
THE Home Secretary was last night facing calls to block a contract extension for the head of Scotland Yard amid growing fury over his refusal to apologise to ‘hounded’ 92-year-old war hero Lord Bramall.
As a Cabinet minister joined calls for a ‘proper apology’ to the ex-Army chief over the Met’s child sex abuse ‘witch-hunt’, it emerged Theresa May wants Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe to be Commissioner for at least two more years.
Sir Bernard’s proposed deal is expected to be rubber-stamped ‘imminently’ and to ignite a fresh storm over the unravelling VIP abuse investigation, Operation Midland.
It would mean the Tories’ preferred commissioner would be in place before the London elections in May – where a victory for Labour would allow them to choose the next Met chief.
But Mrs May is being urged to postpone the contract extension for Sir Bernard – whose five-year deal is due to end in September – until an inquiry has been held into the Bramall fiasco.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said Lord Bramall had been subject to ‘maximum pain’ as a result of the mishandling of an investigation into claims he was part of a high-profile child abuse ring. He said: ‘Somebody somewhere owes Lord Bramall a proper apology for a case that clearly was badly handled.’
Senior Tory MP Nigel Evans led calls for an influential Commons committee to examine the handling of the so-called VIP paedophile suspects, and for Sir Bernard to give evidence about the force’s blunders. He told the Mail: ‘We should get Bernard Hogan-Howe before the Home Affairs Select Committee to explain why Lord Bramall, without a blemish on his record, was treated in this way, and the contract decision should be delayed pending that inquiry.
‘It would be totally inappropriate to make a reappointment while that is going on.’
The MP for Ribble Valley – who has campaigned for those accused of sex crimes to have their identity protected until they are charged – also said Sir Bernard should apologise to the retired field marshal.
London Mayor Boris Johnson, other senior politicians, two former chief constables and a string of ex-military leaders have now publicly criticised Scotland Yard’s bungled investigation into Lord Bramall.
But Mrs May has declined to comment on whether the force should apologise. Tory MP Zac Goldsmith and Labour MP Sadiq Khan – both London mayoral candidates – also refused to issue statements on the scandal.
Former defence minister Sir Gerald Howarth backed calls for an inquiry by the home affairs committee.
He told the Mail: ‘Having offic‘Nick’. ers going into your house in white coats and spending ten hours there and not telling you what it’s about is the behaviour of a police state.’
Operation Midland, a probe into allegations of historic abuse by senior public figures, was launched as a result of claims made by a witness known as The collapse of the case against Lord Bramall has led to further questions about the credibility of Nick’s allegations.
Critics blame the Met for putting the D-Day veteran through the trauma of a tenmonth inquiry despite there never being any evidence to support the claims.
Twenty officers raided the peer’s home at breakfast, in the presence of his dying wife, and he was later interviewed under caution by police.
Scotland Yard last week refused to apologise to Lord Bramall, days after his son Nicholas called for his father’s anonymous accuser to be investigated.
Assistant Commissioner Patricia Gallan expressed regret at the distress caused, but insisted police would be put off investigating claims if they had to apologise when inquiries did not end with a charge.
‘Behaviour of a
police state’