HC Deb 04 May 1978 vol 949 cc425-7
4. Mr. Brotherton

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were present on duty at a National Front election meeting in Brixton on 15th April; how many were injured; what was the cost of their time; and whether the National Front is to be asked to pay the bill.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Merlyn Rees)

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells us that 2,462 police officers were deployed to keep the peace in Lambeth on 15th April, and that in minor disturbances during the day eight officers were slightly injured. The cost of these policing arrangements could not be obtained without disproportionate effort and expense. It is not the practice for candidates at elections to be asked to meet policing costs occasioned by election meetings.

Mr. Brotherton

Does the Secretary of State agree that virtually all the political violence in this country now is caused by the National Front—[HON. MEMBERS: "No."]—and other parties of the extreme Left? Will he take steps to ensure that the Marxists, the Trotskyites, the Socialist Workers Party, the National Front and the rest of the rag-bag of the Left are made to pay for the havoc that they cause?

Mr. Rees

I think that the hon. Gentleman is wrong. It is not only parties of the rag-bag of the Left or the Right, as he puts it—

Mr. Brotherton

No—the Left.

Mr. Rees

—that have to have police protection. The question of police protection arises at meetings for people putting forward mainstream political views. To attempt to work out cost on the basis of the views put forward by candidates would be the wrong approach.

It is rather like football matches. Some people say that the football clubs should pay for the number of police that are outside the ground. [HON. MEMBERS: "Yes."] It would be difficult to try to define in law how that should be done. It would be grossly unfair on some football clubs, particularly if the crowds causing the trouble came from away. In political meetings, many of the people who come to cause trouble are nothing to do with the candidate who has arranged the meeting.

Mr. Flannery

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the hon. Member for Louth (Mr. Brotherton), who regards the National Front as Left, has been somewhat left behind? This week—May Day—we saw a massive police force at the side of a National Front demonstration which nobody had ever heard of, which seemed to be concealed. In Leeds, for instance, May Day was not held properly, because the National Front merely stated that it would march and thereby cancelled all the marches of the working people. Does my right hon. Friend agree that something should be done about that, when the National Front can dictate whether the working people will march in the streets?

Mr. Rees

Speaking as a Leeds Member, I can say that there was an all-party approach from the Leeds City Council—

Mr. Flannery

A Tory council.

Mr. Rees

It was an all-party approach. In Leeds we can manage without any advice from Sheffield. On the general approach, it is the case that small bodies of people from isolated groups in parties can cause trouble for people who want to set about marching perfectly respectably. This causes problems, as was seen in Ilford and at meetings in Lambeth.