Smith: Don’t criticise the police
By politics.co.uk staff
The home secretary has called for an end to ‘police-bashing’ after the chorus of condemnation which followed the G20 protests.
Jacqui Smith said Britons should be grateful to have such a good police force.
“When there are tragic circumstances they should be properly investigated,” she said, referring to the death of Ian Tomlinson.
“We are lucky in this country for the way in which protest is facilitated and the police play a very important role in that.”
The beleaguered home secretary has been plagued by calls for her resignation following a slew of below-average performances on ID cards, the DNA database and various civil liberties issues.
But her position was first destabilised by an ongoing investigation into her second home allowance and her husband’s use of public money to rent out two pornographic movies.
Mr Tomlinson was killed moments after being pushed to the floor by police at the G20 protests.
