21 March 2023 , 13:31
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Suella Braverman has been slammed for refusing to accept the Metropolitan Police service is institutionally racist despite the findings of a damning review.
Baroness Louise Casey’s explicitly wrote in her bombshell report that she makes "a finding of institutional racism, sexism and homophobia in the Met".
Yet the Home Secretary said she agrees with Sir Mark Rowley, the head of the Met, who also rejected the term "institutional".
Ms Braverman told the Commons: "On the topic of institutional racism, Mr. Speaker, I agree with Sir Mark Rowley. It's not a helpful term to use. It's an ambiguous, contested and politically charged term that is much misused and risks making it harder for officers to win back the trust of communities.
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper slammed Suella Braverman's response"Sir Mark is committed to rooting out discrimination in all forms from the Met and I believe that is how the Met Police respond to the issues which is important not whether they accept a label."
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It follows the Met Police Commissioner arguing that the term “institutionally racist” has “different interpretations” and was "ambiguous" in a interview with Sky News this morning.
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper slammed Ms Braverman's response to the Casey report as "dangerously complacent".
She said: "The findings on institutional misogyny, racism and homophobia are based on evidence and clear criteria that Baroness Casey has set out for measuring change with recommendations.
"The Home Secretary rightly says she wants discrimination tackled in all its forms but she has been telling police forces the opposite and telling them not to focus on those issues. So where is her plan now to turn that around?"
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley says the term 'institutional racism' is 'unhelpful' (PA)A former Met superintendent who's suing the force over "racist and sexist abuse" is calling for Commissioner Sir Mark to resign following the damning Casey report.
Former top female officer Nusrit Mehtab told the Mirror he “should go”, and that someone who accepts the term should lead the Met.
Labour leader Keir Starmer acknowledged the report found "institutional racism, institutional misogyny and institutional homophobia".
He said: "Page after page, the report provides both a detailed diagnosis of what's gone wrong and a blueprint for radical reform.
"The strength of its findings require an immediate and urgent response. Without that, confidence in policing cannot be restored.
"The fight against crime will be weakened. People will continue to feel let down and fearful."
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In stark difference to Ms Braverman's response, he added: "A government that I lead would accept the findings of the report in full."
The PM's spokesman said he hadn't asked Rishi Sunak the "specific question" about whether he agreed with Ms Braverman's views on the term "institutional racism" but said there were "clearly significant instances of racism, misogyny and homophobia listed in the report which are shocking".
However, he added: "We think the most important thing is what action is taken as a result of this important work rather than focusing on terminology."
The Casey review found Black officers are 81% more likely to be in the misconduct system than their White counterparts, and that Black Londoners in particular remain over-policed.
"They are more likely to be stopped and searched, handcuffed, batoned and Tasered, are overrepresented in many serious crimes, and when they are victims of crime, they are less satisfied with the service they receive than other Londoners," the report blasted.
One sickening example of bullying in the Met saw a Sikh officer have his beard trimmed as a joke and a Muslim officer having bacon placed in his shoes.
The review said that "overt racism" in the Met Police was not "a thing of the past".
A black female officer said she was left feeling she wanted to resign after hearing racist remarks by a more senior officer.
They allegedly called a white woman a "n***** lover", a "slag", and a "dirty woman", the report said.
It concluded there is now "generational mistrust of the police among Black Londoners".
Baroness Casey explained her conclusions of "institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia in the Met" were made by applying four tests.
In the case of racism, the tests were set out as such:
- Clearly not everyone in the Met is racist, but there are racists and people with racist attitudes within the organisation
- Black and ethnic minority officers and staff experience racism at work and it is routinely ignored, dismissed, or not spoken about. Many do not think it is worth reporting
- Racism and racial bias are reinforced within Met systems
- The Met under-protects and over-polices Black Londoners
Race equality think tank the Runnymede trust said: "The UK has a long tradition of ‘policing by consent’.
"However it is increasingly clear that our communities do not consent to the violent, predatory and discriminatory policing that we are currently offered.
"The culture and standards of policing are inextricably linked to the powers they hold.
"Minoritised communities have repeatedly borne the brunt of these grave misuses of police powers for generations.
"If we are to seriously reckon with the findings of Baroness Casey’s report, we have to start with the powers the police hold.
"We stand united in our call for the roll back of the policing powers of the Metropolitan Police Force."
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