Top police officer condemns Boris Johnson for using ‘my officers as backdrop’

A top police officer has hit out at Boris Johnson for using trainee officers as a backdrop to a political speech.

West Yorkshire Police chief constable John Robins said the force had agreed to using its officers on the understanding that the speech would be in connection to a police recruitment drive.

Mr Robins said he had “no prior knowledge” that Mr Johnson’s speech would also include comments about Brexit and an attack on Jeremy Corbyn.

Before the speech began, officers were stood behind Mr Johnson’s lectern for “at least” 20 minutes due to his late arrival.

And then, during the speech, one officer became unwell and was seen on camera sitting down while Mr Johnson was talking.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper also criticised the prime minister’s use of the police officers in a letter addressed to Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill.

She referenced Mr Robins’ comments and said: “As you will be aware, there is clear guidance prohibiting the involvement of the police in politics.”

The Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford MP pointed out that police regulations state officers should not take part in any activities which “interfere with the impartial discharge of their duties”.

She also demanded answers on how the decision to include the police officers in the backdrop came to be made and at what point police became aware it would happen.

Mr Robins said in a statement on Friday: “It was the understanding of West Yorkshire Police that any involvement of our officers was solely about police officer recruitment. We had no prior knowledge that the speech would be broadened to other issues until it was delivered.

“I was therefore disappointed to see my police officers as a backdrop to the part of the speech that was not related to recruitment.”

:: Listen to the All Out Politics podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson said Home Secretary Priti Patel was originally due to visit, but instead it was “hijacked” by Mr Johnson.

He said: “For him to… use trainee police officers as the backdrop to what became a political speech was totally inappropriate, those officers and West Yorkshire Police should not have been put in that position.

“A visit from the home secretary which originally started out as a discussion about the plans for police recruitment, clearly turned into a rant about Brexit, about the Opposition and appeared to be blatant electioneering, which was completely unacceptable as a last-minute hijacking of the visit by Boris Johnson.”

Downing Street has defended Mr Johnson’s visit on Thursday, saying the recruitment campaign had been “welcomed across the police service”.

Labour also hit back at Mr Johnson, calling the prime minister’s speech a “nakedly party political stunt”.

In a statement, shadow policing minister Louise Haigh said: “Boris Johnson has deceived the police by knowingly using officers for a nakedly party political stunt, without their prior knowledge.

“This is a serious breach of trust and the prime minister must immediately apologise for putting serving officers in this intolerable position.

“Boris Johnson cannot even be honest with a chief constable.”

(c) Sky News 2019: Top police officer condemns Boris Johnson for using ‘my officers as backdrop’