Thread by @copscampaign

The #SpycopsInquiry recommences this week, with Opening Statements being streamed online today, Tuesday and Wednesday.

More details of this set of hearings: ucpi.org.uk/hearings/

Live evidence will be heard from Thurs 12th onwards, and we'll be live-tweeting...
#spycops

https://twitter.com/ucpinquiry/status/1523585266065481729

David Barr QC is explaining what to expect over from the #SpycopsInquiry over the next few weeks. We are due to hear oral evidence from 7 former #spycops managers and 2 "civilian witnesses".

The @ucpinquiry will also publish written evidence on their website - including witness statements and a new time-line relating to the early years (1968-82) of the 'Special Demonstration Squad'

#SpyCops

@ucpinquiry The two civilian witnesses are @LindseyAGerman (of the Socialist Workers Party) and Elizabeth Leicester (who was a member of the Workers Revolutionary Party)

#SpyCops

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman 'Madeleine' has supplied more evidence for the Inquiry - including a postcard sent to her by 'Vince Miller', who deceived her into a relationship.
Vince Harvey went on to become a Detective Chief Inspector and then worked at the National Criminal Intelligence Service.
#SpyCops

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman This tactic (of sending postcards and letters to women activists who they'd deceived) was copied by #spycops over the next 4 decades

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman The #SpycopsInquiry plans to publish more evidence online today - this will include witness statements from former managers and other documents which mention them; *extracts* from Special Branch Annual Reports & other internal SB/ Security Services/ Home Office documents
#SpyCops

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman Counsel to the Inquiry David Barr is using this morning's session to describe the "open source documents" that are being uploaded to the #SpycopsInquiry website - follow @tombfowler for more detail of these.

#SpyCops

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler ( #spycopsinquiry Chair) Mitting himself has finally popped up on screen to welcome the public to this 'Public Inquiry' - he claims technical problems this morning prevented him from doing so earlier.
#SpyCops

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler Also being published today: transcripts (redacted in places) from the secret, 'closed', hearings which the @ucpinquiry have held since last year. These include more details of #spycops abusing their power and deceiving women into sex/ relationships - shocking yet not surprising.

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler The #SpycopsInquiry is now going to change the way they organise their work, revisit the Restriction Orders which gave anonymity to former officers HN80 'Colin Clark' and HN106 'Barry Tompkins', and possibly produce an "Interim Report" at the end of this "Tranche".
#SpyCops

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler That's it for this morning's hearing. The #SpycopsInquiry returns at 14:05 to hear Opening Statements from @metpoliceuk and the 'Designated Lawyers' (who represent former #SpyCops ) - at

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk in the meantime you can catch @tombfowler and @bristolnoborder discussing what we've heard today over at twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

#SpyCops #SpycopsInquiry

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk @bristolnoborder You can now see many of those documents that were mentioned this morning for yourself - see ucpi.org.uk/hearing/ucpi-t… - with more to come later

#SpyCops
#SpycopsInquiry

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk @bristolnoborder David Barr's Opening Statement can be downloaded from ucpi.org.uk/publications/c… #SpycopsInquiry #SpyCops

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk @bristolnoborder Thousands of people were spied on by the abusive, intrusive #spycops units - we're all still waiting for our files!

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk @bristolnoborder The #spycopsinquiry is due to start again in a few minutes. First up this afternoon, we'll be hearing from Peter Skelton QC, who's appearing on behalf of the @metpoliceuk

#SpyCops

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk @bristolnoborder You can now download their Opening Statement from ucpi.org.uk/wp-content/upl…

#SpyCops

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk @bristolnoborder Watch live at

#SpyCops #SpycopsInquiry

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk @bristolnoborder The @metpolice are again attempting to insist that a proper, 'independent' expert historian must be employed by the #SpycopsInquiry to put the actions of their #spycops "in context".

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk @bristolnoborder @MetPolice However they spied on so many members of the public (incl journalists, academics, lawyers, community workers and others) that it might be hard to find somebody who was unaffected by these abusive policing practices

#SpyCops

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk @bristolnoborder @MetPolice Mitting has come back on screen and refuted several of Skelton's suggestions!
He thinks he knows enough about modern history to understand what was going on in the 70s, is unwilling to catalogue his extensive "home library" or publish a list of all the books he's ever read.

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk @bristolnoborder @MetPolice He's also picked up on a few extra things and would welcome the police's response - it's clear that the SDS managers knew about the #spycops usual practices - Mitting wants to know if they ever bothered considering their lawfulness?

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk @bristolnoborder @MetPolice Not the obvious problematic behaviour (deceiving women into sex and using the identities of dead children) but some of their other activities - eg fraudulently gaining entry to people's homes by pretending to be someone else - regarded as trespass & 'breaking' in the Larceny Act

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk @bristolnoborder @MetPolice ..and distributing confidential info (eg banking details) would also be considered a breach of civil LAW. In Mitting's view, the British police try to avoid breaching civil laws, which is why they usually have to get warrants to do certain things.

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk @bristolnoborder @MetPolice Did the #spycops managers ever give these matters any thought? Did they bother working out if what they were doing was lawful or not?
He's looking for answers from the @metpolice - let's see what they have to say

#SpycopsInquiry

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk @bristolnoborder @MetPolice Anyway, next up today we are due to hear from Oliver Sanders QC.
He is from the 'Designated Lawyers', representing 115 former #spycops officers.
You can now download their Opening Statement from ucpi.org.uk/wp-content/upl…

@ucpinquiry @LindseyAGerman @tombfowler @metpoliceuk @bristolnoborder @MetPolice Poor Oliver feels like the "goalposts have been moved" and the ball's been taken away (!) so is a bit unsure what to say now....

#SpycopsInquiry
#SpyCops