In the summer of last year a number of lurid allegations were made by Byline Times about Dan Wootton of a sexual nature including allegations of criminal behaviour. Wootton accepted he had made some “errors of judgement” though he always denied any criminality. A complaint was made to the Metropolitan Police and an investigation commenced, in addition News UK began its own internal investigation covering his period under their employ. Guido understands that earlier this week the Metropolitan Police decided that no further action would follow their five month investigation. Despite the lengthy investigation Wootton was never arrested or charged.
The allegations and a disastrous interview with Laurence Fox resulted in him being taken off air by GB News. It is worth noting that the Guardian and Mirror have both pulled articles offline based on the Byline stories. Other publications and broadcasters did not report the story. Wootton has lawyered up against Byline News and a number of media figures have since thought it wise to delete their tweets on the subject. Dan always said it was a smear campaign. Looks like the police think so too.
UPDATE: Dan has just issued a statement:
I was brought up to trust in the English legal system; to believe in freedom, due process, natural justice and the rule of law – the right of every man or woman to a fair trial, and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law.
But since July 2023, I was the victim of a politically-motivated witch hunt through the left-wing and social media led by a hard left activist, a convicted phone hacker, a convicted extortionist, and a deranged an abusive ex who had threatened on the record to slit my throat and previously admitted to being a psychopath with dark urges.
The accusations made against me were completely spurious – lies designed to destroy my career where complainants were actuated by malice.
Well six months on, I have now been completely cleared in two investigations by the Metropolitan and Scottish Police, who have confirmed they will be taking no further action.
While I knew this would always be the outcome, the process is now the punishment, with social media acting as the executioner.
Margaret Thatcher once said that if you ever get trial by media, or guilt by accusation, that day freedom dies.
She was right. It is high time that all of our ancient rights were once again upheld, chief among them the right to be presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.
If it falls to me to be the champion of those rights, then so be it. It is a fight I am more than willing to take up, not just for me but for all of us.
Khan’s 11th-hour £30 million giveaway to the RMT union has predictably rubbed ASLEF tube drivers up the wrong way as they were told there was no chance for any cash and “there was absolutely no more money” a few months ago. ASLEF is now demanding an upgraded pay rise of 12%. Khan’s office continues to refuse to specify where the initial £30 million has even come from…
Meanwhile this afternoon officials from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime were tortuously questioned in City Hall, at which point it became clear Sadiq Khan is refusing to supply the Met with £70 million in funds for its “New Met For London” reforms. The Met has asked for increased funding as part of its 2023-25 restructuring programme. Now Khan’s saying no to the peelers while digging into his pockets for union handouts…
Susan Halls tells Guido:
“Sadiq Khan is not serious about supporting our police, which is why he is ducking and diving when questioned over the black hole in his budget. We cannot let him spend another four years on an ego trip, while crime soars and trust in the police plummets. I have found the money to invest £200 million into the Met Police, and as Mayor I will get a grip of crime and make our streets safe“.
All while Just Stop Oil threatens to switch to a strategy of violence…
Last July, police investigated a 62-year-old BBC presenter regarding an allegation that he paid a young person for explicit photos beginning when they were 17. These claims were made by the young person’s family. A second young person alleged the man sent them abusive messages after first making contact on a dating app and accused him of meeting them in 2021 and breaking lockdown rules in the process.
At the time the Metropolitan Police issued this statement:
“We are aware of media reporting of further allegations against the same individual. No specific details or information about these allegations have been passed to us and therefore there is no police action at this time.
Should evidence of criminality or safeguarding issues be identified at any point we would expect matters to be referred to the relevant police force.
Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command have now concluded their assessment and have determined there is no information to indicate that a criminal offence has been committed.”
There are currently rumours to the contrary going round that in fact there is a police investigation ongoing. When journalists ask if the statement made in the summer is still true, the Met’s Press Bureau will only say:
“We are not able to answer your query on the information you have provided to us.”
Which is not a denial.
The Met is ramping up its publicity campaign against Just Stop Oil – it’s got new graphics and is placing stories in rags of all stripes publicising that since October 2022 JSO marches have cost the police almost £20 million. Over 300 officers every single day are having to be taken off frontline policing to deal with them. The Met’s ramping up: 657 arrests were made over the last five weeks alone…
Community policing in London is at the forefront of our priorities.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) December 7, 2023
Yet hundreds of officers were being taken away from local teams to deal with Just Stop Oil protests every day for five weeks - we made 657 arrests.
Since Oct 2022 the cost of policing JSO is now £19.9 million.
Commander Kyle Gordon, responsible for dealing with JSO, is taking an increasingly exasperated tone, asking JSO to “come forward and speak with us, so we can actually work with them“. Meanwhile, Tory mayoral candidate Susan Hall takes a hard line, telling Guido:
“Just Stop Oil protesters have caused nothing but misery for Londoners, taking millions out of the police budget that would have been better spent solving crimes and keeping Londoners safe. While we respect the right to peacefully protest, the police must use their powers to crack down on those who cause needless disruption. As Mayor, I would ensure they do“.
£20 million could pay the salaries of around 200 officers…
Labour are trying their best to capitalise on Tory grumblings over Braverman’s late-night Times op-ed in which she hit out at the police over the weekend’s march. Yvette Cooper has sprung to the Commons with urgent question to “ask the Home Secretary to make a statement on the operational independence of the Metropolitan Police“. Cooper got to attack Braverman for running “an endless Tory leadership campaign“, ask if Number 10 approved the op-ed and attack Rishi for being “too weak to sack her“. Policing minister Chris Philp said he didn’t have “any visibility” on whether Sunak approved the piece…
It’s nice to see Cooper taking such an interest in “respect for police at a sensitive time“. Guido doesn’t remember her having such scruples over their conduct at Sarah Everard’s vigil…
Hat-Tip: Christian Calgie
Twitter bitch fight of the week goes to the Met Police and Just Stop Oil, as the gloves came off over a dispute on who was to blame for blocking the road on Waterloo Bridge. After Just Stop Oil protesters brought traffic to a halt, including an ambulance with a patient on board, the Met announced on X that arrests had been made as activists refused to get off the road. Ding ding…
This is some of the congestion which JSO are causing on Waterloo Bridge.
One of the vehicles is an ambulance on blue lights which is not able to get past.
Officers are continually telling the activists to move out the road so it can pass while making arrests. pic.twitter.com/E2kiM4Wksk
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) November 8, 2023
Just Stop Oil fought back in their usual righteous fashion, protesting that it was the Met officers that were blocking the ambulance, not them. The Met snapped back at JSO, writing that the bridge was blocked thanks to “your activists…If [they] got up and moved to the pavement we could have reopened the road to release the traffic“. An unusual display of animation from the Met…
The bridge is blocked because your activists are laying in the road, as your video shows. If the people who are under arrest worked with us, got up and moved to the pavement we could have reopened the road to release the traffic.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) November 8, 2023
Good to see the Met sticking it to them online, now how about on the streets…
