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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.
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.”
Dave Smith in opening statement to #SpyCopsInquiry: “But blacklisting is not a conspiracy theory. It is a real life conspiracy: secretly organised by multinational construction firms with the collusion of the police and the security services.”
Dave Smith to #SpyCopsInquiry: “I worked, and was a union safety rep, on the Jubilee Line extension in the 1990’s, and some of my fellow workers who took part in a safety dispute over the lack of fire alarms at London Bridge station ended up being blacklisted.”
Dave Smith to #SpyCopsInquiry: “Some of those blacklisted workers took their own lives. No one can say that blacklisting was the sole reason for these suicides, but prolonged periods of unemployment and family tensions cannot be good for anyone’s mental health.”
Dave Smith tells #SpyCopsInquiry that police’s ‘Operation Herne’ found that police, including Special Branch and the Security Service supplied information to the blacklist funded by the UK’s major construction companies.
Records of the Met Special Branch’s #spycops unit, SDS, gathered intelligence on strikes by miners, dockers, building workers, Dave Smith tells #SpyCopsInquiry.
Special Branch even maintained files on specific industrial disputes, he adds.
Special Branch even maintained files on specific industrial disputes, he adds.
Dave Smith tells #SpyCopsInquiry that Special Branch set up its industrial unit in 1970.
He says: “According to Operation Herne, the Special Branch industrial unit had a dedicated officer who was their official liaison officer with the Economic League.”
He says: “According to Operation Herne, the Special Branch industrial unit had a dedicated officer who was their official liaison officer with the Economic League.”
Files on thousands of British citizens are still held on the national domestic extremism database, which was originally compiled by the Met’s #spycops unit and is maintained by the National Extremism Tactical Co-ordination Unit, Dave Smith tells #SpyCopsInquiry.
The former head of the National Extremism Tactical Co-ordination Unit is on record as saying that it was set up to “take over MI5’s covert role in watching groups such as [CND], trade-union activists and left-wing journalists,” Dave Smith tells #SpyCopsInquiry.
Dave Smith tells #SpyCopsInquiry that various #spycops units have closed, but “the sharing of police intelligence across all sectors of industry has not creased.”
It continues through the National Domestic Extremism and Disorder Intelligence Unit’s industrial liaison section.
It continues through the National Domestic Extremism and Disorder Intelligence Unit’s industrial liaison section.
Three #spycops targeted union activists who were blacklisted, Dave Smith tells #SpyCopsInquiry. They were Peter Francis, Mark Jenner and “Carlo Neri”.
“Personally, I remember Jenner being particularly disruptive at meetings we both attended.”
“Personally, I remember Jenner being particularly disruptive at meetings we both attended.”
Dave Smith tells #SpyCopsInquiry that Mark Jenner infiltrated the construction workers’ union, UCATT. “The undercover police officer actually chaired some of the meetings,” he says.
Mark Jenner, using the name “Mark Cassidy”, voted at union meetings, campaigned for candidates during executive elections, called for the sacking of an elected UCATT convener, and was “particularly antagonistic at meetings,” Dave Smith tells #SpyCopsInquiry.
“Mark Jenner and the British state disrupted and interfered with the internal democratic processes of an independent trade union,” Dave Smith to #SpyCopsInquiry.
Mark Jenner was replaced by another #spycop, “Carlo Neri”, Dave Smith tells #SpyCopsInquiry.
He says that “Neri” incited union activists to fire bomb a charity shop in London on the pretext that it was run by an Italian fascist.
He says that “Neri” incited union activists to fire bomb a charity shop in London on the pretext that it was run by an Italian fascist.
Dave Smith accuses #spycop “Carlo Neri” of being being an “agent provocateur”, of “deliberately attempting to entrap union members by inciting them to commit arson.”
The union activists wanted nothing to do with the proposed attack, he says. They were not terrorists.
The union activists wanted nothing to do with the proposed attack, he says. They were not terrorists.
Intelligence gathered by #spycops “was passed onto employers and found its way onto the blacklist,” Dave Smith tells #SpyCopsInquiry.
Dave Smith to #SpyCopsInquiry: “It is time for the police to come clean and name names.”
He calls for the release of the names of the #spycops who spied on trade unionists and 1,000 political groups, and details of what was done with the intelligence.
He calls for the release of the names of the #spycops who spied on trade unionists and 1,000 political groups, and details of what was done with the intelligence.
Dave Smith tells #SpyCopsInquiry that construction workers have found their blacklist, but this is not the only one.
He mentions as examples the one maintained at the BBC for staff and job applicants, and another for civil servants.
He mentions as examples the one maintained at the BBC for staff and job applicants, and another for civil servants.
Dave Smith ends by telling #SpyCopsInquiry: “The police can claim all they like that they were protecting democracy. But by spying on trade union members and colluding with our blacklisting, the UK’s political policing units are actually protecting big business and capitalism.”
Following general submissions by lawyers for non-state core participants, Sir John Mitting agrees that there will be a proecedural hearing about how the evidence sessions are being run in January before Phase 2 of evidence sessions, pencilled in for March or April.
Lawyers for non-state core participants are moving on to how they can make applications on the scope of questioning for witnesses.
Sir John Mitting criticises Rajiv Menon for questions that he has already posed.
Sir John Mitting criticises Rajiv Menon for questions that he has already posed.
Rajiv Menon, barrister for several non-state core participants, defends his position, point to late disclosure as a major problem.
Sir John Mitting, inquiry chairman, stresses that he should tell inquiry lawyers the basis for future questions.
Sir John Mitting, inquiry chairman, stresses that he should tell inquiry lawyers the basis for future questions.
This discussion largely comes out of Rajiv Menon’s asking a #spycop whether a colleague had an intimate relationship with a target back in 1968. https://twitter.com/MarkWatts_1/status/1327323575221686273
Rajiv Menon presses #SpyCopsInquiry to make earlier disclosure to core participants of relevant material even if that means doing it piecemeal instead of waiting to disclose it all in one go.
Sir John Mitting undertakes that he and the inquiry team will reflect on this.
Sir John Mitting undertakes that he and the inquiry team will reflect on this.
Ruth Brander, barrister for several non-state core participants, reiterates the importance of earlier disclosure of relevant material before hearings for whichever tranche of the #SpyCopsInquiry.
Ruth Brander, representing 20 women deceived into sexual relationships with #spycops, gives the eg of how they are seeing for the first time evidence of male #spycops having dinner or drinks with female targets in the early days of SDS, and so questions arise at this late stage.
“You have given me something to reflect upon,” Sir John Mitting replies to Ruth Brander. “You will have your answer,” he adds, before the end of today
I had to break away from #SpyCopsInquiry hearing because of pre-arranged meetings on what had been put down as a non-sitting day. Will update as soon as I can.
Do read written opening statement of Dave Smith, of Blacklist Support Group, to #SpyCopsInquiry on how #spycops worked for big business published on its website: https://www.ucpi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/20201105-Opening_Statement-Blacklist_Support_Group.pdf
Following this morning’s legal discussions at #SpyCopsInquiry, Sir John Mitting has agreed to provide a 10-minute “pause” after the final two witnesses in Tranche 1 give evidence to enable lawyers for non-state core participants to consider whether they wish to ask further qus.
This is a temporary measure, pending a directions hearing before Tranche 2 to enable non-state core participants to raise any issues that have arisen with being able to put questions to witnesses, particularly as a result of late disclosure.
