Open Letter to Sir John Mitting, Chair of the Undercover Policing Inquiry
59 minutes ago
4 min read
Our client, Mr Dave Smith, of the Blacklist Support Group, has shared the following statement in respect of his participation in the Undercover Policing Inquiry.
We the undersigned, publicly call upon Sir John Mitting, the Chair of the undercover policing public inquiry, to call Dave Smith to appear as a witness at a future set of oral evidence hearings. Smith is a core participant in the inquiry, spied on by multiple undercover officers. The spycops compiled intelligence reports on his trade union and anti-racist activities that were then circulated to the security services.
As the secretary of the Blacklist Support Group and co-author of the book, ‘Blacklisted: the secret war between big business and union activists’, Smith is acknowledged as the leading expert on the Consulting Association blacklisting scandal, and the police involvement in it. Smith has assisted two select committee investigations and his research has been cited in Parliament, in academia, the media and even by the police.
Following a formal complaint by the Blacklist Support Group, Operation Reuben was set up as an internal police investigation into police collusion in blacklisting. Operation Reuben concluded that:
“Police, including Special Branches and the Security Services supplied information to the blacklist funded by the country’s major construction firms, The Consulting Association and other agencies. This allegation is Proven.
Special Branches throughout the UK had direct contact with the Economic League, public authorities, private industry and trade unions”
(Operation Reuben Para. 4.2 & 13.1.2)
It is in this context that investigating the downstream use of police intelligence for vetting or blacklisting members of the public became one of the stated aims of this inquiry. Yet the subject is barely mentioned in opening statements by state actors and only cursory questioning of police witnesses has taken place. There was not a single word on blacklisting or vetting in the Chair's Interim Report published in 2023.
Without calling on Dave Smith’s in-depth research into the mechanics of blacklisting, the lack of openness by state actors on the issue will go virtually uncontested, and any findings will be based on the failing memories of a small cohort of ex-police officers. The ruling by the chair of the public inquiry to deny Smith the opportunity to give oral evidence is perverse and against the public interest.
Signed by:
Sharon Graham - Gen. Sec. UNITE the Union (core participant)
Steve Wright - Gen. Sec. Fire Brigades Union (core participant)
Paul Nowak - Gen. Sec. Trade Union Congress
Steve Gillan - Gen Sec. Prison Officers Association, current President Trade Union Congress
Matt Wrack - Gen. Sec. NASUWT, former GS FBU, former President TUC (reported on by undercover police)
Gary Smith - Gen. Sec. GMB union
Sir Paul Kenny - former Gen. Sec. GMB union, former President of TUC
Daniel Kebede - Gen. Sec. National Education Union
Jo Grady - Gen Sec. University & College Union
Paul Mackney - former Gen. Sec. NATFHE (reported on by undercover police)
Fran Heathcote - Gen. Sec. Public & Commercial Services Union
Sarah Wooley - Gen Sec. Bakers, Food & Allied Workers Union & President GFTU
Dave Calfe - Gen. Sec. ASLEF
Mick Whelan - former Gen.Sec. ASLEF
Eddie Dempsey - Gen. Sec RMT union
Gawain Little - Gen Sec. General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU)
Darren O'Grady - Ass. Gen. Sec. National Education Union & blacklisted electrician
Steve Hedley - former AGS RMT union (blacklisted core participant)
Dr Emma Runswick - Deputy Chair British Medical Association
John McDonnell MP
Dave Nellist - former Labour MP (core participant)
Baroness Jenny Jones - reported on by undercover police
Frank Smith - blacklisted bricklayer core participant
Dan Gilman - blacklisted core participant
Lisa Teuscher - blacklisted core participant
Steve Acheson - blacklisted electrician core participant
Noelle & Monica Higgins - daughters of Brian Higgins (blacklisted core participant)
Marilyn Jones - widow of John Jones (blacklisted core participant)
Helen Steel - blacklisted core participant
Dave Morris - blacklisted core participant
Emily Apple - blacklisted core participant
Suresh Grover - core participant
Joe Batty - former TGWU rep
Lois Austin - core participant
Mark Metcalf - core participant
'Alison' - core participant
'Jenny' - core participant
'Jessica' - core participant
'Lindsey' - core participant
'Wendy' -core participant
'Madeleine' - core participant
'Lindsey' - core participant
Kate Wilson - core participant
Donna McLean - core participant
Hannah Sell - core participant
Lindsey German - core participant
Eleanor Fairbraida - core participant
Zoe Young - core participant
Alex Hodson - core participant
Dr Donal O'Driscoll - core participant & Undercover Research Group
Merrick Cork - core participant
Tom Fowler - core participant
Chris Brian - core participant
Ben Leamy - core participant
Michael Dooley - blacklisted bricklayer
Frank Morris - blacklisted electrician
Colin Trousdale - blacklisted electrician
Kenny Irvine - blacklisted builder & Building Worker Group
Kenny Newton - blacklisted electrician
Dr Jack Fawbert - blacklisted bricklayer
George Fuller - blacklisted bricklayer
Terry Brough - blacklisted bricklayer
Tony Sweeney - blacklisted joiner
Dr Graham Sharp - blacklisted carpenter
Bill Kaye - blacklisted construction worker
John Bryan - blacklisted bricklayer
Mark Thomas - blacklisted activist comedian
Paul Crimmins - blacklisted bricklayer
Tony Seaman - blacklisted scaffolder
Lee Fowler - blacklisted electrician
David Dix - blacklisted electrician
Tony Sweeney - blacklisted scaffolder
Pat McEwan - blacklisted steel erector
Stephen Bland - blacklisted electrician
Martin Smith - blacklisted civil servant & Organising for a Change
Professor Keith Ewing - President of Institute of Employment Rights
Hilda Palmer - Families Against Corporate Killers
Janet Newsome - Hazards Campaign
Rory O'Neill - Hazards
Mick Holder - London Hazards Centre (targeted by undercover police)
Sheila Coleman - Hillsborough Justice Campaign
John Dunn - Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign & blacklisted coal miner
Rob Williams - National Shop Stewards Network & blacklisted car worker
