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Mark Watts Profile picture
Mark Watts
@MarkWatts_1
Journalist, broadcaster, author. Co-ordinator @FOIACentre, https://t.co/16qVPHMq84. Former Editor-in-Chief, Exaro. Views are my own – except, perhaps, retweets.
5 subscribers
May 17, 2022 • 15 tweets • 8 min read
Day 7 of #SpyCopsInquiry – Tranche 1 (Phase 3). Anthony Greenslade tells #SpyCopsInquiry in statement that he “got involved” in the Met’s #spycops unit while working on the bomb squad between 1971 and 1974.

“Morale” on the unit was “low at the time”, he says. Anthony Greenslade on the head of the #spycops unit at the time, now deceased, but his name is being kept secret: “He virtually ran [the unit] as [a] fiefdom.

“I do not think he was very good at management.”
May 16, 2022 • 6 tweets • 3 min read
Day 6 of #SpyCopsInquiry – Tranche 1 (Phase 3). Conrad Dixon, who in 1968 set up and headed Met’s SDS, its initial #spycops unit, briefed Jim Callaghan, home sec, more than once during1968-70, according to statement by Bill Furner, a junior officer in the back-office staff. David Smith, officer manager at #spycops unit, 1970-74, tells #SpyCopsInquiry in statement: “There was no guidance on intimate relationships, but the officers were treated as mature adults who knew not to bring the police force into disrepute by engaging in such activity.”
Jun 15, 2021 • 34 tweets • 5 min read
Daniel Morgan independent panel set up EIGHT YEARS ago, intended to report SEVEN YEARS ago.

Panel expected to complete report FOUR YEARS ago.

Mourning for Prince Philip stopped publication THREE WEEKS ago.

Then Priti Patel wanted to VET it.

Finally, today PUBLICATION DAY. We were expecting Daniel Morgan independent panel’s report to be published at 12.15pm today.

However, there is A BIT OF a delay to Priti Patel’s formally laying it before Parliament, where foreign secretary is still taking questions.

Delay is the watchword for this inquiry.
Apr 29, 2021 • 25 tweets • 15 min read
Day 7 of phase 2 of #SpyCopsInquiry.

Quick summary of evidence from #spycop “David Hughes”, who is not being called; 5mins on documents associated with #spycop “Ian Cameron”.

Two former anti-apartheid campaigners, Jonathan Rosenhead and Christabel Gurney, due to be called. “David Hughes” infiltrated International Marxist Group, Troops Out Movement and Anti-Internment League between 1971 and 1976.

He tells #SpyCopsInquiry in his witness statement: “I think that the inquiry is missing large numbers of my reports.”
Apr 28, 2021 • 14 tweets • 8 min read
Day 6 of phase 2 of #SpyCopsInquiry.

Piers Corbyn, activist and brother of Jeremy Corbyn.

Ernest Rodker, anti-apartheid campaigner and one of several who may have been victim of miscarriage of justice over protest against British Lions rugby tour to South Africa in 1972. Piers Corbyn, an activist since his student days, says in witness statement to #SpyCopsInquiry that it has disclosed 53 #spycops reports from 1971 to 1990 that mention his name.

But he believes that the reports “are only a fraction” of Special Branch and MI5 files on him.
Apr 27, 2021 • 25 tweets • 14 min read
Day 5 of phase 2 of #SpyCopsInquiry. Today, two #spycops on the stand.

“David Robertson”, whose cover was blown, faces questions in partic over alleged threat to woman he feared would unmask him (see thread below).

And “Alex Sloan”, who also was rumbled. “HN45” tells #SpyCopsInquiry that he used cover name of “Dave Robertson” as a #spycop from 1970. “I was tasked to infiltrate Maoist groups.”

Hearing has suddenly stopped. But because journalists can only hear audio feed virtually, no idea why.

Another #SpyCopsInquiry mystery.
Apr 26, 2021 • 15 tweets • 7 min read
Day 4 of phase 2 of #SpyCopsInquiry, due to start at 12 noon.

I am keeping an eye on the hearings and will tweet some key points, but am not covering comprehensively.

Today, two activists targetted by #spycops due to be called: Diane Langford and Norman Temple. Diane Langford describes #spycop “Dave Robertson” in witness statement to #SpyCopsInqujiry: “I quite liked him. He was very ingratiating and bluff….

“He’d regularly buy us rounds in the pub and generally tried to be obliging.”
Apr 21, 2021 • 29 tweets • 13 min read
Second phase of #SpyCopsInquiry hearings, covering 1972 to 1982, due to begin this morning at 10am.

Eight former #spycops set to testify in this phase.

Meanwhile, third phase of hearings, when #spycops managers are due to be called, DELAYED from October to first half of 2022. David Barr, counsel to #SpyCopsInquiry, says that evidence to be heard in this phase of hearings will require inquiry chairman to consider whether there are grounds to believe that activities of #spycops led to specific miscarriages of justice.
Nov 17, 2020 • 34 tweets • 13 min read
Day 12 of #SpyCopsInquiry – fireworks expected: Dave Smith, of Blacklist Support Group, due to give his belated opening statement on what was due to be a non-sitting day.

Then lawyers for non-core participants to make an application on the scope of questioning for witnesses. Dave Smith tells #SpyCopsInquiry that Blacklist Support Group represents union members who were blacklisted by construction companies. “When we first spoke about being blacklisted for our union activities we were ignored by the authorities and ridiculed as conspiracy theorists.”
Nov 16, 2020 • 23 tweets • 10 min read
Day 11 of #SpyCopsInquiry: two #spycops who operated in 1969-72 due to be called – “Dick Epps” and “Alan Nixon”/”Alan Bailey”.

Summary of evidence from third #spycop in 1968-69, whose cover name (as well as real name) is being kept secret, due to be read out by inquiry lawyer. “Dick Epps” in his statement to #SpyCopsInquiry on Conrad Dixon, who set up and headed Met’s SDS, its initial #spycop unit. “Conrad was a clever man, but also an ambitious and devious man. He saw an opportunity for himself as well as an opportunity to create something useful.”
Nov 13, 2020 • 30 tweets • 14 min read
Day 10 of #spycops inquiry: two #spycops due to be called, first from management/back office, second used cover name, “Douglas Edwards”.

Summaries of evidence from three further #spycops – including “Don De Freitas” and “William Paul Lewis” – to be read out by inquiry lawyer. Summary of statement by #spycop “Don De Freitas” read to inquiry: he was in SDS during 1968. He worked elsewhere in Special Branch before + after his brief time in SDS.

He targeted Vietnam Solidarity Campaign, and posed as boyfriend of “Margaret White”:
Nov 12, 2020 • 28 tweets • 11 min read
Day 9 of #spycops inquiry: three #spycops who infiltrated campaign against Vietnam war – “John Graham”, “Barry Morris” and “Margaret White”.

Plus statement to be read from Ernest Tate, of Vietnam Solidarity Campaign and an organiser of Vietnam war protest in London in 1968. First up today, “HN329”, a #spycop in the Met Special Branch’s “Special Demonstration Squad” from 1968.

He used the cover name “John Graham”.
Nov 11, 2020 • 13 tweets • 5 min read
Today, finally, #spycops inquiry is due to start hearing evidence, but it is not being live streamed to public.

We have been hearing core participants’ opening statements since last week. There may still be one or two more of those today before evidence begins. Despite suggestion by Sir John Mitting yesterday that we would hear one or two further opening statements this am (we still have not heard from Dave Smith, a blacklisted construction worker, and Helen Steel, one of the McLibel 2), #spycops inquiry is going straight into evidence.
Nov 10, 2020 • 38 tweets • 14 min read
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, #Spycop

Day 7 of opening statements today, including on behalf of Baroneess (Doreen) Lawrence, Neville Lawrence, Michael Mansfield.

Due to be live streamed at link.

Ahead of start of evidence sessions from tomorrow.

ucpi.org.uk/hearing/openin… We start by hearing a broadside delivered at both #spycops inquiry and the Met delivered by Baroness Lawrence via her barrister, Imran Khan.
Nov 9, 2020 • 16 tweets • 7 min read
We are hearing this am at undercover policing inquiry from Philippa Kaufman the truly mind-blowing story of state sexual abuse of 20 women whom she represents by #spycops, and how these women unearthed who their “boyfriends” really were and exposed them. ucpi.org.uk/hearing/openin… Philippa Kaufman also represents a 21st woman who developed a friendship, albeit not a sexual relationship, with a #spycop.

You can see her giving her and others later today giving opening statements at this link: ucpi.org.uk/hearing/openin…
Nov 8, 2020 • 6 tweets • 3 min read
East Germany had the Stasi.

UK have the #spycops.

Key points in utterly staggering submissions to #spycops inquiry in opening statements last week on behalf of a wide range of core participants that show the sheer scale of secret political policing in UK have gone unreported. For example, James Scobie, barrister for several CPs, said on Day 5 of undercover policing inquiry on Friday, that #spycop Rick Gibson helped run the Troops Out Movement in 1974-76 by becoming its London organiser and ultimately joint national secretary. ucpi.org.uk/wp-content/upl…
Nov 6, 2020 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
How secret state in UK has long policed politics:

MI5, working with #spycops, policing MPs, campaigners and anyone seeking social change, as set out in lengthy opening statement by Rajiv Menon, for some core participants in undercover policing inquiry.

ucpi.org.uk/wp-content/upl… “Undercover policing was severely tainted – corrupted – by political motivations and political bias,” says Matthew Ryder, representing many other core participants in #spycopys inquiry, in opening statement.

A common target for #spycops was anyone who campaigned against racism.
Nov 2, 2020 • 6 tweets • 3 min read
Even MPs came under the scrutiny of UK #spycops, says David Barr, counsel to undercover policing inquiry, in his opening statement in Day 1 of hearings today. Some former #spycops continued to operate in the private sector, with at least one continuing to use exactly the same cover name, David Barr says in opening statement to undercover policing inquiry.
Oct 28, 2020 • 33 tweets • 12 min read
Day 13 of Janner hearings of #CSAinquiry behind closed doors again:

Kevin Yates, of Leicestershire Police’s ‘Operation Magnolia’, who was too ill to testify last Weds.

Matt Hewson, of ‘Operation Enamel’, due back.

And four witnesses from Labour party.

Gregor McGill, director of legal services at CPS, who began his testimony yesterday (linked below), has been slotted into finish before Kevin Yates is called.

All happening behind closed doors.

Oct 27, 2020 • 33 tweets • 12 min read
Day 12 of Janner hearings of #CSAinquiry:

Statement from Tony Blair – to explain why he made Greville Janner a Lord – due to be read. In closed session.

NOT being questioned.

Helen Ewen, head of honours secretariat at Cabinet Office, due to be called.

As I revealed, all of the many people who accused Greville, later Lord, Janner of child sexual abuse have been frozen out of #CSAinquiry.

But a cyphered person, “JA-B24” due to be called today. Not sure whether this person is a survivor or a relative.

Oct 26, 2020 • 42 tweets • 13 min read
Day 11 of Janner hearings of #CSAinquiry behind closed doors ALL DAY again:

Michael Creedon.

Former chief constable of Derbyshire Police.

Effectively led probe into Frank Beck in 1991.

Says that he was ORDERED not to arrest Janner.

Testifying in SECRET.

#SecretCSAinquiry Christopher Thomas, SIO of Operation Dauntless (2006-7) is being slotted in to complete his evidence in closed session before Michael Creedon is called.

Thomas testified on Day 9, but did not finish then. But I tweeted what he has to say on Day 9: