CHANGE ‘must’ come… from Parliament

KM & Keith Vaz MPI am deeply grateful to my Member of Parliament Emily Thornberry – the Shadow Attorney General – for supporting me in my evidence to the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee inquiry into ‘Leadership and Standards in the Police’.

The Commons Select Committee published its report yesterday 1 July 2013, coinciding with my appearance on the ITV Breakfast programme Daybreak along with the Committee Chair – Keith Vaz MP.

I only hope now that the loss of my career, home and relationship in my pursuit of justice by not being intimidated or bullied into silence by the Metropolitan Police with regards to discrimination within the Force, ensures that Parliament who represent all Britons will act in the people’s best interests.

I didn’t get chance on the television programme yesterday to elaborate on my point that ‘nothing has changed’ due to other news, but it is this – 20 years on after the death of Stephen Lawrence and the surface of Institutional Racism, I as a black and gay man am still complaining about the same things in 2013 … racism within the Met, smearing by the Met.

The power of the people is vested in their politicians, so on behalf of them, MPs of all parties have to make the service ‘fit for purpose’ in the 21st Century so that all communities can have confidence in the police.

The police policing themselves ship, has long ago set sail.

There needs to be a system outside of the Constabulary that is not only independent, but truly independent with no connections to the service including the past whatsoever.

The public deserves nothing less.