Undercover Policing Inquiry: Opening Statement - Tranche 3 Part 1

Today we are making our Opening Statement on behalf of our Core Participants, namely:

• Youth against Racism in Europe (YRE) 
• Lois Austin (YRE, Socialist Party)
• Hannah Sell (YRE, Socialist Party)
• Judy Beishon (Socialist Party), 
• Dave Nellist (former Labour MP, 1983–1992) 
• ‘Lewis’ (Movement for Justice).

The Opening Statement has been prepared by James Scobie KC (Garden Court Chambers), Piers Marquis (Doughty Street Chambers), and Paul Heron (Solicitor, Public Interest Law Centre). It is available here.

This marks an important moment in the Undercover Policing Inquiry as it examines the state’s infiltration of socialist, anti-racist and anti-fascist movements in Britain. YRE’s participation will highlight how undercover policing targeted young people campaigning against racism and the far right in the 1990s, an attack not only on individuals but on the democratic right to protest and organise.

Crucially, our statement will examine the role of Peter Francis, an undercover officer with the Metropolitan Police’s Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) who infiltrated YRE in the early 1990s under a false identity. During his deployment, he spied on anti-racist and anti-fascist campaigners, attending meetings, demonstrations, and internal discussions. His infiltration coincided with YRE’s central role in organising the mass anti-racist mobilisations of the period, including the large demonstrations in Welling to close the BNP Nazi bunker. 

Our submission will also cover the infiltration of Militant Labour (now the Socialist Party) and the Movement for Justice.

Dave Nellist, a Labour MP between 1983-1992, is also mentioned in our Opening Statement. We are asking the Home Office to expand Tranche 5 to examine the role of the West Midlands Special Branch and their infiltration of his constituency Office. To be clear, Dave Nellist an elected representative in parliament was actively spied on by the Police. We think Tranche 5 should be expanded to allow a detailed examination. 

The statement will also be available on the UCPI website at the start of its delivery.