Cooper condemns PM over Mitchell
YVETTE Cooper branded David Cameron “weak on crime and weak on the causes of crime” as she condemned the Prime Minister for failing to fire his Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell for his outburst at the police in Downing Street.
After her leader Ed Miliband invoked one Tory Prime Minister – Benjamin Disraeli, and his One Nation politics – the Shadow Home Secretary invoked that of another, Robert Peel, for his approach to community policing – “the public is the police, the police is the public”.
Ms Cooper accused the UK Government of “cutting the police, undermining communities, swearing at officers, turning their backs on victims” and insisted: “It is the Labour Party that is now the party for policing. Labour the party for law and order. Labour the One Nation party.”
She called for changes in three areas: closing loopholes to claw back the proceeds of organised crime, new laws to ensure the Serious Fraud Office can pursue bankers and economic crime and new action to tackle domestic violence, highlighting statistics which show two women are killed every week by a partner.
The Secretary of State opened her remarks with tributes to Police Constables Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone and to the 5000 officers from around the country who volunteered to cover shifts in Manchester so colleagues could attend the funerals.
Ms Cooper then took aim at Mr Cameron over his Chief Whip’s confrontation with the police, who refused to allow Mr Mitchell to ride his bicycle through the Downing Street gates and instead directed him to use a side entrance.
The Tory frontbencher is alleged to have called the officers “f****** plebs”. He has denied using the words attributed to him.
Ms Cooper argued it was just like the tax breaks for millionaires – “one rule for the Cabinet, another for the plebs”.