Latest news with #police impartiality
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
The majority of the public just want us to get on with the job of keeping them safe
The end of woke policing may be at hand thanks to a landmark High Court judgment which makes police participation in LGBT + Pride events unlawful. As a senior police officer, I had been banging that drum for many years. My professional view had always been that taking part in Pride parades - in the same way that participating in any kind of activist cause whether it be animal rights, Scottish independence or Black Lives Matter - simply does not square with the concept of an impartial police service. My own experience when raising objections to taking part in Pride events as a Police Scotland officer was that I was committing something akin to heresy by refusing to get behind such a crucial social justice movement. Could I not see the good this will do to forging better links with communities? In truth, I object neither to Pride parades nor any social justice movement. My concern was purely on the basis that a supposedly neutral and impartial police service should restrict its activities to policing rather than participating in such events. Whether dancing in uniform covered in rainbow paint or marching alongside animal rights protesters dressed like beagles, the police have no business participating in these movements. This has been a slippery slope for the police service. Ever since the new breed of chief police officers indoctrinated in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) took the helm, our police officers have not simply been permitted to take part in Pride marches but have been actively encouraged to do so. There was an expectation that senior police officers in particular would march in full police uniform at annual events. I, and a small number of senior colleagues, refused to do so for concerns that this was against our oath of impartiality, or 'without fear or favour'. I t clearly crosses the line of perceived neutrality by openly supporting a particular social justice movement in an official capacity. The High Court ruling sends a strong, clear and long overdue message to Britain's chief constables, including Police Scotland's boss, Jo Farrell. Their indulgence and support for this nonsense must now come to an end. Not only are the public sick and tired of seeing cops dancing around at marches while many communities experience police station closures, reduced policing visibility and soaring crime rates, but the law has now unequivocally spoken on the matter. It must stop! While perhaps breathtaking that it has taken a High Court ruling to confirm what for many of us was an obvious position for the police, the ruling will not sit comfortably with those senior officers within the service who have pushed this narrative for so many years. You can be sure that careers have been made on the back of the 'progressive' narrative, by pushing the DEI agenda. Many of the highly paid DEI consultants within Police Scotland will now be in crisis mode, sitting in hastily convened meetings scratching their heads and wondering how they can now signal the organisation's progressive virtues. I have no doubt, too, that this ruling will be strongly resisted in some quarters. Policing has bred a generation of social justice activists at all levels of the hierarchy, many of whom will not take well to being told 'no more marching'. For the most part, the public just want the police to get on with the job of making their communities safe. This means locking up the bad people and protecting the good people - and discharging the office of constable without fear or favour. Whilst having cops attend Pride processions may help ease the social conscience of Jo Farrell and other progressive police leaders, it achieves none of policing's core objectives of keeping the streets safe. I, for one, wholeheartedly welcome the judgment. * Dave Marshall is a former Grampian Police constable and an ex-chief superintendent at the College of Policing and the British Transport Police. He is author of The Fall of Policing, available on Amazon.
The Independent
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Police face ban from marching in Pride parades after High Court ruling
The judgement, handed down on Wednesday, ruled that officers were wrong to have taken part in Newcastle's Pride parade last year. The case was brought by Linzi Smith, who describes herself in court documents as a 'lesbian who is 'gender critical',' who 'believes that a person's sex is an immutable characteristic'. She argued that police breached their impartiality obligations for taking part in the event and appearing under a banner supporting transgender people's rights. The judge, Mr Justice Linden, agreed with her and ruled the Chief Constable of Northumbria Police acted unlawfully when she allowed uniformed officers to take part in the event last year. The ruling is likely to have wide-reaching implications for how police are able to participate in community events across the country. Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said the organisation as 'working through the detail' of the judgement and is working to create broader guidance to help local forces 'make decisions around participation in events to maintain their impartiality.' 'Having police officers and staff who know their communities, are visible in those communities and play an active part in their local area has been shown time and time again to build trust and confidence in our service,' he said. 'Every week police officers and staff will as part of their duties take part in thousands of events up and down the country, from community events at village halls through to large scale events like carnivals, parades and festivals. 'However, we recognise that policing must also maintain its impartiality, including in the types of events it supports and plays an active part in.' In a witness statement, Harry Miller, a former officer and founder of group Fair Cop, said the chief constable marched next to participants 'carrying the flags and emblems clearly associated with the gender ideologists' cause' such as banners saying 'Trans women are women' and 'Trans rights are human rights'. He argued this signalled a political association. Reaching his decision, the judge said the chief constable's participation was likely to be seen as 'expressing the support of the head of the force for the views and the cause which the march sought to promote' and 'therefore as indicating the position or perspective of the force as an organisation'. Jo Maugham KC, executive director of the Good Law Project said the 'incredibly important' judgement could have practical implications for all people subject to impartiality obligations participating in such events. 'The impartiality duties that police have are substantially no different from the impartiality duties that all sorts of other public servants have,' he said. 'It doesn't mean police can't police these parades - they can. But it does mean they can't march in them. 'But it also could mean civil servants can't march in them or BBC journalists.' He warned this could extend to parades or protests relating to other causes such as anti-racism or anti-misogyny as Trans people are also a legally protected group under the Equality Act. Mr Maugham added there was a 'lack of clarity at the heart of the judgement' which he said does not define the phrase 'gender ideology' itself. '[The judge's ruling] seems to think the reality or legitimacy of trans existence is up for debate,' he told The Independent. 'The difficulty of that is Parliament has said it is not up for debate. 'The Equality Act recognises that trans people - like women and disabled people - are a group whose existence is not up for debate, it is to be protected.' He said: 'This is yet another decision made by our courts which has a very profound affect on LGBT rights where a court has not thought it appropriate to hear from anyone from that community.' Responding to the ruling, Northumbria Police said it has an 'important role to play in a variety of events, including parades and festivals' throughout the year. It said while their primary aim is to keep people safe, these events also provide police with 'an opportunity to engage with people including those who may have less confidence in policing.' these events provides the force 'with an opportunity to engage with people including those who may have less confidence in policing' 'It is vitally important they feel supported and we continue to build their trust in us,' a spokesperson said. 'That is why we felt it important to challenge the case which was brought against us and which has implications for wider policing. 'We will work through the ruling to understand the implications, while staying true to our values of fairness, visibility, and support for all.'
