Peer slams ‘police politicisation’ in wake of hacking scandal

Baroness Harris of Richmond, who chaired North Yorkshire Police Authority in the 1990s, described the reforms as the “most debilitating, distressing and appalling” shake-up of police during her 12 years in the House of Lords.

She urged the Government to think again about the proposals and warned the current allegations of corrupt payments from journalists to the Metropolitan Police for information and the botched investigation into phone hacking were a “stark warning” of the dangers of politicising the police.

“At present, the Bill manages to combine too much lassitude for individuals with too little regulation,” warned Baroness Harris. “This is a direct consequence of the inadequate corporate and governance structures.

“I am also inclined to agree ... that the events that we have seen in recent days are a direct consequence of politicising policing and a stark warning about the dangers of the press influencing policing in a political environment.

“This will make all senior officers – particularly chief officers – vulnerable to the winds of political fortune in the new world of directly elected police governors. For this reason it is essential to improve protection for chief officers to enable them to exercise their operational responsibility without fear or favour.”

Despite widespread unease among Liberal Democrats about the proposals to install an elected commissioner to oversee each force – with powers to hire and fire chief constables, set budgets and chair a crime and disorder panel – Nick Clegg has warned the party not to block the plan as it is in the Coalition Agreement.

Tory Ministers believe it will bring more effective scrutiny than the current system of police authorities, made up of a combination of councillors and independent figures.

But in a parting shot Baroness Harris, said the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill was “profound the most debilitating, distressing and appalling police Bill that has ever been my misfortune to have dealt with” in her time in the House of Lords.

“I regret deeply that there has been no real concern placed on looking at ... the very important checks and balances. They are not here.”

The Bill has now been passed to the House of Commons to consider amendments made by the House of Lords.

However, Ministers have now made it clear that they will overturn a defeat in the Lords – led by Baroness Harris – that would remove elected commissioners altogether.

The Government has already made several concessions to try to improve the checks and balances within the system and insists there will be safeguards to prevent politicisation.