Richard Cooke’s challenge could force Britain’s police unions to confront their uneasy relationship with censorship.
CAM WAKEFIELD
Richard Cooke, the former chair of the UK’s West Midlands Police Federation, is preparing a legal challenge after being removed from office over comments he made defending his police force. Backed by the Free Speech Union, Cooke argues that his removal was an attack on his right to represent the views of officers.
The dispute began when Cooke responded on X to a Channel 4 News report that described racism and misogyny as widespread within West Midlands Police.
Cooke wrote: “I don’t recognize these attitudes. They do not represent us – we are an anti-racist organization.” In a separate post, he said: “Nonsense – and so was the report but these reporters rarely bother checking their sources.”
Following these posts, the Police Federation of England and Wales suspended Cooke.
The Federation barred him from seeking re-election for three years. According to the Federation, his comments risked alienating members who had experienced discrimination.
A spokesperson said: “Richard Cooke was removed from his role as Chair of the West Midlands Federation branch following an extensive process, which included an appeal. He was investigated following complaints from members about comments on social media which were judged by a panel of his peers to have been in breach of the Federation’s standards.”
The complaints came from two officers who appeared in the Channel 4 show. Cooke’s appeal was rejected after a hearing that he was not permitted to attend. His exclusion from the ballot led to a change in the Federation’s leadership.
Cooke had been elected chair three times since 2018. He describes his removal as a political decision intended to silence him.
Speaking to the Telegraph, he said: “I have been removed from office for speaking out in defense of my members and for reflecting their views, which is what I was elected to do. The media report wrongly suggested that racism and misogyny were widespread in West Midlands Police. I challenged that because I do not recognise that and it is unfair to the vast majority of my colleagues. I did not suggest that racism and misogyny do not exist within the force but to shut me down for stating my views is deeply sinister. This is a witch hunt.”
Cooke now seeks to take legal action and is working alongside Rick Prior, the former chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation, who also faced disciplinary action under similar circumstances.
The Free Speech Union commented: “Twenty-five years ago, a Police Federation Chair would have been suspended for disparaging his fellow officers. Today, you get suspended for defending them.”
The Federation maintains that its procedures were followed in line with statutory rules. Cooke remains a serving officer with West Midlands Police. The case is likely to test how far elected representatives of public bodies can go in expressing their views without facing disciplinary consequences.
This article (Silenced for Defending Colleagues: The Police Free Speech Fight Heating Up in the UK) was created and published by Reclaim the Net and is republished here under “Fair Use” with attribution to the author Cam Wakefield
See Related Article Below
Police Chief Suspended for Rejecting “Nonsense” Racism Claims Launches Legal Battle
RICHARD ELDRED
The head of the West Midlands Police Federation is taking legal action after being ousted for rejecting claims that racism is widespread among his colleagues. The Telegraph has the story.
Richard Cooke, who was elected to represent 7,000 rank and file officers in the country’s second largest police force, was suspended and banned from standing in recent elections following comments he made on the X social media platform.
Responding to claims made in a Channel 4 news report that racism and misogyny were widespread in West Midlands Police, Mr Cooke wrote: “…I don’t recognise these attitudes. They do not represent us – we are an anti-racist organisation.”
In a second tweet, he dismissed suggestions that the force had done nothing to tackle racism, writing: “Nonsense – and so was the report but these reporters rarely bother checking their sources.”
Following the remarks, which were made in December, Mr Cooke was suspended by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) from his position as branch chairman pending an investigation.
Bosses at the police union claimed his comments risked “alienating those of our members who might be victims of discriminatory treatment – effectively leaving them with nowhere to turn for support and representation’”.
It is understood the suspension came after the two officers who had featured in the original Channel 4 News report lodged a complaint.
Mr Cooke lodged an appeal against his suspension but that was dismissed at a hearing in March he was not invited to attend.
He was also banned from standing for election for three years meaning he was not on the recent ballot papers and so has now been replaced as branch chairman.
With the support of the Free Speech Union he is challenging the process in the courts and is looking to join forces with Rick Prior, the former chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, who was sacked in similar circumstances for comments he made in the media.
Mr Cooke, who has been elected as branch chairman in three separate elections since 2018, said he had been the victim of a “witch hunt”.
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