Law and order and policing in London: a reader
Recent policing of public order in the capital prompted me to look back at what I've written on the subject of law and order in general
It is a particularly London-centric concern in terms of immediate news, as the Metropolitan Police Force is hauled over the coals for its cack-handed and weirdly partial policing of public protests over the conflict in Gaza, but law and order is always a fiercely contested area. As the general election—which I continue to think will be in October or November—draws closer, debate becomes more sharply drawn and more polarised, and language becomes sharper. But that is both inevitable and understandable, because public safety is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of a government.
For those reasons, I looked back at what I’d written about the area over the past five years or so, and thought there was enough of a body of work to pull together into a single place. Like the similar examples on defence and China, I will try to keep it updated so it remains a relevant resource for anyone who finds it useful.
Policing in London
Cressida Dick and the Metropolitan Police lost the communications war after Sarah Everard disappearance (City A.M.) 15 March 2021
Cressida Dick should go and her successor needs to jump-start the police force (City A.M.) 13 September 2021
2021 was a bad year for the police—they must act now to restore trust (The Telegraph) 4 January 2022
Cressida Dick made mistakes, but the problems of the Met are systemic (The Telegraph) 11 February 2022
Renaming the Met Police would give it a license to ignore wholesale reform (City A.M.) 17 April 2023
Police Scotland wants to teach the Met a lesson in understanding its racist cops (City A.M.) 30 May 2023
Why do the police appear to be indulging terrorist sympathisers? (CapX) 11 October 2023
Another bad week for the Met (i News) 31 October 2023
We cannot allow thugs to bully MPs and derail our democracy (Daily Express) 22 February 2024
Is there any way back for the Met Police? (The Spectator) 22 April 2024
Laws and the law
From the archives: amending the treason laws (The Ideas Lab) 14 November 2022
The strange case of the death penalty (The Ideas Lab) 16 February 2023
My not-so-learned friends: an epidemic of puffed-up Twitter famous barristers (City A.M.) 10 July 2023
Hate Speech and Public Order (Scotland) Act: free speech in danger? (The Ideas Lab) 21 March 2024
Humza Yousaf doesn’t understand his own Hate Crime Act (CapX) 26 March 2024
New laws don’t stop crime (City A.M.) 12 April 2024
Law and order, parties and policy
Sadiq Khan could be leading the way in deserting the foolish war on drugs (City A.M.) 16 May 2022
Starmer can’t help but echo Blair with a tough on crime attack on the Tories (City A.M.) 24 April 2023
When MPs fear for their safety because of how they vote, we can’t look away (City A.M.) 4 March 2024
Is the Home Office “unfit for purpose”, or is it our leaders? (CapX) 12 March 2024
Labour’s centrist law and order posturing simply isn’t serious (i News) 24 April 2024