Those following the Stephen Lawrence: the never ending story will have registered the involvement of Assistant Deputy Commissioner John Grieve in the secret recording of Duwayne Brookes and his lawyer.
I crossed swords with Grieve back in 2001 when he was Director of the Racial and Violent Crime Task Force of the Metropolitan Police. Greg Dyke, then the Chairman of the BBC, described the Corporation as “Hideously white” (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2001/jan/08/uknews1). This was a clear incitement to hatred of the white population of Britain by someone in a position of considerable power and influence so I made a complaint to Grieve asking him to investigate Dyke for inciting racial hatred. He refused to act, even after the now Tory Minister Gerald Howarth intervened asking him why he would not investigate.
In the case of incitement to racial hatred cases the police operate a double standard: if the complainant is from an ethnic minority they investigate; if the complainant is white they refuse investigate and often refuse to even record the complaint. The police response to my complaint against Dyke shows unequivocally how reluctant the police are to investigate complaints of racial incitement when the complaint is made by someone white concerning abuse of that racial group. Where such a complaint involves someone considered to be part of the politically correct elite there is no chance whatsoever of it being investigated.
Below is the correspondence relating to the Dyke complaint:
The fact that the very pc copper Grieve is now under fire for his actions relating to the Lawrence story is a delicious irony.
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18 January 2001
Asst Dept. Comm. John Grieve
Racial and Violent Crimes Squad
Metropolitan Police
New Scotland Yard
10 The Broadway
London SWlH 6BG
cc All national newspapers
Gerald Howorth MP
Dear Mr Grieve,
I ask you to take investigate the statement by the BBC Director General, Greg Dyke, that the BBC is “hideously white” for inciting racial hatred.
The statement is unambiguously racist because Mr Dyke is making a statement about a recognised racial group and the use of the word “hideously” is highly inflammatory. The extremely unpleasant nature of it can be seen by substituting black or Asian for white: “hideously black”, “hideously Asian”. Its effect can only be to incite racial hatred against whites.
The severity of the offence is greatly magnified by Mr Dyke’s position as the head of our state funded broadcaster. I enclose a cutting from the Sunday Telegraph dated 7/1/2001, to formally substantiate the statement Mr Dyke made.
I am sure that the severity of the offence and Mr Dyke’s position will lead a fervent anti-racist such as yourself to take immediate and exemplary action.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Henderson
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John G D Grieve CBE QPM BA (Hons) M.Phil
Deputy Assistant Commissioner
Director, Racial & Violent Crime Task Force
Room 936 New Scotland Yard
Broadway LONDON
SWIH 0BG
Telephone: 0171-230-4186
Facsimile: 0171-230-2152
E-Mail: athena.met police@gtnet.gov, uk
Date: 31 January 2001
Dear Mr Henderson
I acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 18th January, 2001 concerning remarks made by Mr Greg Dyke, the Director General of the BBC.
When the Racial and Violent Crime Task Force was established in 1998 it was given clear terms of reference, which included that it would only be tasked at the direct request of an Assistant Commissioner from within this Service. In acknowledgement of the concerns expressed about race crime and to endorse divisions as the focal point of police-public interference we established Community Safety Units in every London Borough.
I have not seen or heard the comments you refer to but if you feel that they may constitute a criminal offence you can report the matter to your local police for possible investigation.
Yours sincerely
Detective Inspector Howard Gosling
Staff Officer to John G D Grieve Deputy Assistant Commissioner
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12 February 2001
Mr John Stevens
Metropolitan Police Commissioner
New Scotland Yard
10 The Broadway
London SWlH 6BG
cc All national newspapers
Gerald Howorth MP
Dear Mr Stevens,
I enclose a copy of a letter I sent to John Grieve making a formal complaint against the BBC Director-General, Greg Dyke, for his remarks about the BBC being “hideously white”.
A DI Gosling has replied on behalf of Mr Grieve. A copy of his letter is enclosed. It is the type of letter which brings the public service into contempt.
DI Gosling makes himself ridiculous when he says “I have not seen or heard the comments you refer to…” Not only would he have had to be living in a cave for the past few months not to have met them through the general media coverage, I sent a newspaper cutting giving the story and offending words with my original letter of complaint to John Grieve.
DI Gosling is begging the question when he says that an Asst Commissioner must “task” Grieve’s group before action can be taken. The proper procedure when a complaint is made to John Grieve is for it to be submitted to an Asst Commissioner. If it was rejected as inappropriate for action by the RVCTF, it should have been submitted to my nearest police station in accordance with standard police practice. However, this is manifestly a complaint which is suitable for John Grieve, because it involves a public figure with great practical influence and the words used were highly inflammatory.
I ask you to take up the complaint and instruct John Grieve to investigate it forthwith.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Henderson
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6 March 2001
Mr John Stevens
Metropolitan Police Commissioner
New Scotland Yard
10 The Broadway
London SWlH 6BG
cc All national newspapers
Gerald Howorth MP
Dear Mr Stevens,
I wrote to you on 12 February concerning an absurd reply I had received from the Racial and Violent Crimes Squad following a complaint I had made about Greg Dyke, the Director General of the BBC (copy enclosed). I have had no answer from you. My original letter was sent, as is this, by recorded delivery, so please do not waste your time and mine claiming it was not received.
If you refuse to address this complaint honestly, it will be unambiguous proof that your police force is not interested in applying the law equally. Dyke’s comments were unambiguously racist and his position in charge of the only state broadcaster amplified them greatly.
I suggest you reply by return of post.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Henderson
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10-March 2001
Mr John Stevens
Metropolitan Police Commissioner
New Scotland Yard
10 The Broadway
London SWlH 6BG
cc All national newspapers
Gerald Howorth MP
Dear Mr Stevens,
I have Mr Grieve’s letter of 2 March in response to my letter to you of 12 February. A bald refusal to act will not do.
Anne Robinson, a presenter, makes some obviously tongue-in-cheek remarks about the Welsh on a comedy programme: result – the matter is referred to the police who take it seriously and begin preparing a file for the Crown Prosecution Service.
Greg Dyke, the Director-General of the state broadcasting service, the BBC, states that his senior management team is “hideously white”. Mr Dyke is (1) the most powerful man in British broadcasting and (2) the remark is unambiguously racist in the crudest fashion and feeds the resentments of the minorities in Britain. Yet you refuse to act. Why?
I repeat what I said in my letter of 6 March, every time you refuse to apply the law even-handedly, a nail is knocked in the coffin of your credibility and that of your force.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Henderson
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2 April 2001
Sir John Stevens
Metropolitan Police Commissioner
New Scotland Yard
10 The Broadway
London SWlH 6BG
cc All national newspapers
Gerald Howorth MP
Dear Sir John,
My apologies for missing your ‘K’ in previous letters. I have had no reply to my letter (sent by recorded delivery) of 10 March. A copy is attached. Are you refusing to give your reasons for failing to act against Greg Dyke for his “hideously white” comment?
I would also like answers to these questions:
– How many of the 100 odd people arrested for “hate crimes” by the Metropolitan Police on 20th March were a) black and b) Asian?
– How much of the Met’s total budget for the financial year ending 5/4/2001 (or any other accounting period you use) has been spent on “anti-racist” measures including training?
– How much of the Met’s total budget for the financial year ending 5/4/2001 (or any other accounting period you use) has been spent investigating crimes formally classified as racist by the Met?
Yours sincerely,
Robert Henderson
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GERALD HOWARTH MP
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SW1A 0AA Direct line: 020 7219 5650
Fax: 020 7219 1198
19th March 2001
Dear Mr Grieve,
Mr Robert Henderson of 156 Levita House, Chalton Street, London NWl 1HR, wrote to the commissioner about Mr Greg Dyke’s remarks about theBBC being ‘hideously white’. I do think the police owe us all an explanation as to why those remarks -quite clearly racial – warrant no reaction from yourselves whilst the remarks of Ann Robinson about the Welsh do.
What is the difference?
Yours sincerely,
Gerald Howorth
John G. D. Grieve Esq CBE, QPM,
Deputy Asst Commissioner
Director, Racial and Violent Crime Task Force
Room 936, New Scotland Yard
Broadway, SWIH OBG
GERALD HOWARTH MP
HOUSE OF COMMONS LONDON SW1A 0AA
Direct line: 020 7219 5650
Fax: 020 7219 1198
8th May 2001
Dear Mr Grieve,
Thank you for your letter of 26th April about the case raised by Mr Robert Henderson of 156 Levita House, Chalton Street, London NWl 1 HR, about the remarks attributed to the Director General of the BBC.
You will not be surprised to know that I am well aware of the demands on police time and resources and support the priority of tackling serious crime. However, I simply put it to you: what would have happened had I referred to the music profession as being “hideously black”. Can you not imagine that you would have been faced with calls for me to be prosecuted and Mr Hague called upon to expel me from the Conservative Party?
It is that inequality of treatment which I find so offensive.
Yours sincerely
Gerald Howorth MP
John G. D. Grieve Esq CBE, QPM,
Deputy Asst Commissioner
Director, Racial and Violent Crime Task Force
Room 936, New Scotland Yard
Broadway, SW1H OBG
