After Scotland Yard dropped its ‘hate crime’ case that came about following his interview with David Starkey, Darren Grimes has filed a formal complaint over the Met’s probe against him, accusing the police of being “compelled by deference to” Black Lives Matter, an organisation that’s “overtly engaged in criminal conduct”. In the letter, Grimes notes his concerns “that senior officers in the Metropolitan Police Force appear to be making significant operational decisions on the basis of media commentary and social media posting.”
In launching the complaint, Darren is demanding:
- A formal apology from the Metropolitan Police for seeking an interview with Messrs Grimes and Dr Starkey;
- All correspondence relevant to the decision to interview Messrs Grimes and Starkey in relation to the allegation;
- The initial allegation received from Durham Police on the 4th of July 2020;
- The file prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service for the purpose of obtaining early investigation advice;
- The CPS pre-investigation advice received from the Crown Prosecution Service on the 25th of September or any related early investigative advice received with respect to the allegation;
- Any instructions to DC Shah to undertake interviews pursuant to the allegation;
- The details of any review process that was undertaken with respect to that decision;
- Any notes of any telephone calls, personal attendances or meetings related to the allegation.
Read the complaint in full below:
Darren Grimes has beaten the system yet again as the police investigation into whether or not he incited racial hatred by publishing an interview with David Starkey is closed. Keir Starmer will be disappointed…
As Guido reported last week was likely, the Police have formally closed the overzealous and clearly political investigation. In a letter to Grimes, a senior Detective Inspector wrote…
You are no longer required to attend the police station as the decision has been made to close the investigation.
Toby Young of the Free Speech Union, who helped Darren fight back tells Guido:
“I’m delighted for Darren Grimes and David Starkey, but things might have turned out very differently if they hadn’t been members of the Free Speech Union. The police and the CPS need to stop abusing the law to try and regulate speech and debate. It’s not their job to investigate thought crimes.”
They would have got away with were it not for that pesky Free Speech Union…
Responding to the news, Darren said “I am delighted to be free from months, if not years, of yet more legal drama occupying my life.” This should never have happened in the first place. Read the police’s letter to Grimes in full here:
Newsnight kicked up a storm last night after Len McCluskey was broadcast in an interview with the BBC’s Lewis Goodall, saying Peter Mandelson – who has Jewish heritage – should go away and “count his gold”. A classic antisemitic trope. This morning McCluskey apologised. In other words…
Before this gets out of hand, let me say language is important and I apologise to Peter Mandelson and anyone else if mine has caused hurt. #newsnight @lewis_goodall @BBCNewsnight
— Len McCluskey (@LenMcCluskey) October 19, 2020
An impressionable young interviewer publishes a discussion with a well-known controversialist who comes out with a phrase widely understood to be racist and historically used to stir up racial hatred. The young interviewer doesn’t directly challenge him on it. There is an outcry and the controversialist later apologises. How soon can it be before the woke police summon Goodall for questioning? Will Lewis Goodall end up sharing a cell with Darren Grimes?
The Metropolitan Police wrote to Darren Grimes over the investigation of him publishing his interview with David Starkey yesterday:
“We are writing to inform you that a senior officer has been appointed to conduct a review of this matter to ensure it remains proportionate and that all appropriate lines of inquiry are being considered.
While this review takes place, please note that at this time you are no longer required to attend Kingston Police Station on Friday 16 October 2020.”
Reading between the lines it looks like the Met are looking to get off this high horse without losing face. Though Darren is naturally cautious after the twists and turns of his 4 year battle with the Electoral Commission.
The Free Speech Union was able to find a top criminal solicitor to defend Darren and helped galvanise support across the media and in Government. Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, tells Guido that he is “relieved that this is over, but alarmed that the police embarked on this witch-hunt in the first place. Starkey’s words never came anywhere near meeting the threshold for stirring up racial hatred, let alone Darren Grime’s decision to broadcast them.” You can find out more about the Free Speech Union and join at freespeechunion.org.
Friday’s news that the Metropolitan Police are investigating Darren Grimes over a possible breach of hate speech laws publishing his interview with David Starkey was so absurd that even Priti Patel publicly pushed the boundaries of her role to say “it’s important the law protects freedom of speech.” Labour, it appears, have taken a slightly different view.
“I think it does sometimes have to involve the police… There has got to be a level of tolerance of course, but there is a line which can be crossed, and it’s very important that it is investigated, and in some cases prosecutions.”“When people go over the line it’s right that it’s investigated.”
Darren Grimes has apologised for not challenging comments historian David Starkey made on his new online free speech channel, Reasoned. Being interviewed by Grimes, Starkey said:
“Slavery was not genocide, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many damn blacks in Africa or in Britain would there?”
Responding to the comments furore, Grimes has just Tweeted:
Hand on heart, I wasn’t engaged enough in this interview as I should’ve been. It goes without saying that Reasoned UK does not support or condone Dr David Starkey’s words.
I am very new to being the interviewer rather than the interviewee and I should have robustly questioned Dr Starkey about his comments.
However, whether it’s on the BBC, ITV, Sky News or on YouTube, no interviewer is responsible for the views expressed by their guests.
At Reasoned UK you’ll always find unfiltered opinions, allowing the audience to make up their own minds -that said, in future – I can promise that there will be a host who is much more willing to challenge those opinions.
Darren, this is the second time not paying attention to details has got you into trouble…
