Political Policing: What Was Special Branch Hiding?

A new article in Declassified UK, written by Paul Heron (founder and consultant solicitor at PILC), raises serious questions about the surveillance of former Labour MP and long-standing socialist campaigner Dave Nellist and the destruction of Special Branch files.

Documents disclosed to the Undercover Policing Inquiry (UCPI) show that Special Branch opened a personal file on Dave Nellist in 1983, the year he entered Parliament. More strikingly, another file connected to Dave Nellist was opened on 26 September 1991 the day after he was suspended by the Labour Party. That material has since been destroyed by the Metropolitan Police.

Paul Heron, who represents Dave Nellist at the UCPI, suspect that the material was prepared by Special Branch to assist the Labour Party National Executive Committee in preparing a case against Dave Nellist.

The destruction goes much wider. Files relating to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), Stop the War Coalition, National Union of Mineworkers, Fire Brigades Union and Michael Mansfield KC are among records now acknowledged to have been irretrievably destroyed.

The article argues that this cannot simply be understood as poor record keeping. It raises fundamental questions about political policing, democratic accountability and the relationship between Special Branch, the security services and government.

Paul Heron, who represents Nellist, CND, Stop the War Coalition activists and others at the UCPI, said:

“Special Branch was gathering intelligence on elected politicians, trade unionists, anti-war campaigners and socialists because of their political activity. The destruction of these files means we may never know who authorised that surveillance, who received the intelligence, or how it was used. That is precisely why the Inquiry must allow Dave Nellist’s case to be investigated in Tranche 5 of the Inquiry and examine the role of West Midlands Special Branch and their close relationship with the Security Services.”  

Read Paul’s full article in Declassified UK here.

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