March 26

The London Metropolitan Police are finally learning how to play chess.

After the students made them sacrifice their Queen and forced their hand enough to resort to tactics which were perhaps not appropriate for young people (kettling) it seems someone has realised that anger, frustration and unrest are unlikely to go away but only to get worse as the UK’s financial austerity starts to bite.

There is a command centre with pods for not only the police, but also other partners needed to manage so many people including the Ambulance Service. I hope, as I suspect do they, that they will be surplus to requirements. There are independent observers in the command centre from Liberty, the police not only entering into dialogue with external groups without being directed to, but opting to open up a little, to become a little more transparent in their decisions.

So much has changed in 4 months. The Commander now talks about bluetooth and tweeting, using their website ‘much more’. Never mind the questionable strategy they previously employed which by inference meant they didn’t think they needed to update their website at all. They’re catching up. They’re learning to play.

The final piece of a jigsaw which gives me hope is the quiet words hidden away on the Sukey website:

As part of the same spirit we are releasing internal documents including minutes to a meeting we have had with the Met now that the police have finally given us permission to do so.

Finally given permissions, but permission given all the same. Anyone who is any way familiar with the mechanisms of the Ministry of Justice or the Met will understand that the decision to release that documentation is a big deal. Things are changing. Not only because of the fronts being fought loudly and to much fireworks and noise on Twitter and in other places, but because of the quiet, determined under the radar negotiation of people like those behind Sukey.

The war for transparency and accountability is being fought on many fronts, and it is being won.

NB
It is estimated currently, at 12 noon on the 26 March that the Met believe there are at least 450,000 people on the streets of London marching against the cuts being imposed across the public sector. They are marching on behalf of those who cannot make it down to London, for whatever reason. I would like to say thank you. Whether I believe it will make a fig of difference or not, I passionately believe in this countries ability and responsibility to look after those who cannot look after themselves as well as they themselves would like for any number of a thousand different reasons. Thank you.

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