Another Sunday, with several Sunday Newspapers shamelessly copying the News of the World's "story" contained in their serialisation of the former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Lord Stevens' autobiography.
Liar Blunkett tried to stab me in the back
The Sunday Times, the Observer and the Independent on Sunday just clone the same "juicy" quotes where Lord Stevens criticises the disgraced ex-Home Secretary David Blunkett for having an "anti-police attitude", in contrast with his predecessors the NuLabour Jack Straw and the Tory Michael Howard, both of who also managed to cock up relations with the Police, the Judiciary, the Prison staff etc., but not, presumably as much as David Blunkett did.
Lord Stevens , who is by no means above criticism himself, does appear to be justifiably peeved by the media briefings after the September 11th 2001 attacks:
"There were only three people in that office - myself, the Home Secretary and his dog. And it didn't come from the dog."
The Sunday Telegraph, which originally broke the immigration visa scandal story (as opposed to the News of the World's claim that it broke the scandal about Blunkett's adulterous affair) which led to the resignation of David Blunkett, where he appeared to have nearly got away with an almost criminal misuse of his official position, for the benefit people embroiled in his scandalous private life, has an even more worrying twist to their report, repeating the claims that Tony Blair is set to bring back David Blunkett as Home Secretary in a Cabinet re-shuffle before Christmas.
One would have thought that the NuLabour Politburo would be reacting to this sort of media spin in the same wway that the Soviet one did after the death of Stalin, when his secret police chief Beria appeared to be holding the reigns of power, and that they would summon up enough collective courage to ensure that, above all, Blunkett could never be allowed to return as Home Secretary.
Are Sir John Stevens' comments meant to help to drive stake through the undead flesh of Blunkett's political anbitions for power ?
Or is this all just Blunkett inspired media spin, to keep his wreteched name in the media every week, come what may ?
EXCLUSIVE:In his explosive new book, ex-Met Police boss Lord Stevens - our columnist The Chief - reveals what REALLY went on in the corridors of powerLIAR BLUNKETT TRIED TO STAB ME IN THE BACK
By Mazher Mahmood
BRITAIN'S former top cop today sensationally brands Cabinet minister David Blunkett a lying, back-stabbing bully.
Lord Stevens reveals how the disgraced ex-Home Secretary was nice to his face but secretly BITCHED about him to try to get him sacked.
In exclusive extracts from his explosive new autobiography, Not For The Faint-Hearted, News of the World columnist Lord Stevens also tells how Blunkett:
EXPLOITED the 9/11 terror attacks to score cheap political points against senior policemen.
ACCUSED cops of "over reacting" on terror warnings less than two years before the London bombings.
DESTROYED all the good work done by his predecessor Jack Straw on police reform, causing mass protest by 14,000 officers.
LEAKED lies on what was said at a meeting—even though only Stevens, Blunkett and his dog were present.
Lord Stevens said: "There were many in the police service and indeed the Home Office who had dealings with Blunkett and thought him duplicitous and intimidating.
"My experiences make it very difficult for me to disagree with that.
"Once I had stood up to him, I had no further problems and we developed a good working relationship. But until then it was very unnecessarily difficult, unpleasant and stressful."
Stevens' dramatic disclosures will put Blunkett, now Work and Pensions Secretary, in the middle of another controversy. He was forced to quit the Home Office after the News of the World exposed his affair with married Spectator publisher Kimberly Quinn.
Stevens tells how the best advice he was given about Blunkett—whose three-year Home Office reign was riddled with bust-ups with senior policemen—was: "Be wary of him—and never go to see him alone. Always take a witness." The commissioner ignored it at his peril and—after one of many leaked stories condemning him after a meeting with Blunkett—he stormed to friends: "I didn't know where this story came from. There were only three of us in that office—myself, the Home Secretary and his dog. And it didn't come from the dog."
Lord Stevens—who retired in January after a distinguished career—says: "For years I had absolutely no problems with Michael Howard nor with Jack Straw.
"Then, in the form of David Blunkett, there came along a new Home Secretary who knew very little about policing. Many officers felt he took office ready armed with an anti-police agenda."
Lord Stevens reveals how relations between the pair, already strained by Blunkett's aggressive attitude to police reforms, went badly wrong in the aftermath of 9/11.
The two fell out again after a crisis meeting of COBRA—the government national emergencies committee. Stevens sensed even then Blunkett was still playing power games. "Tony Blair ran the meeting superbly," writes Stevens.
Rattled
"But when Mr Blunkett raised doubts as to whether the Association of Chief Police Officers could deal with terrorism, I became quite vigorous in saying it could.
"The anti-terrorist branch was one part of the organisation that really did work. I immediately wondered whether I should have given such a forthright reply but two members of the Cabinet came up afterwards and said, ‘Well done'."
Rattled Blunkett, however, didn't agree.
On October 21 a tabloid headline claimed: "Blunkett gives top copper a roasting". It was news to Lord Stevens. "The report claimed the Home Secretary had called me in and rebuked me for warning the public that Britain could be the next target for a terrorist attack," he says. "But I had not been called in.
"Then in February 2002 he told the Evening Standard I had six months to get the level of street crime down or else I would be replaced. In recent months, street crime had been falling following my decision to put 1,000 officers, mainly from the traffic division, into the fight against robbery and mugging.
"When I telephoned him to remonstrate about his remarks he denied having said what had been reported," says Stevens. "I subsequently confirmed the story was true from the newspaper."
The two were also at loggerheads over police reforms. After what Stevens thought had been a promising first meeting with Blunkett on the issue, a senior member of the Commissioner's staff told him she thought Blunkett couldn't be trusted to carry on good work the previous Home Secretary Jack Straw had started.
"All that (Straw's work) seemed to be ignored in a new, aggressive approach which I warned Blunkett would ‘end in tears'," says Stevens.
"My forecast proved correct when 14,000 police officers marched on Parliament. I called my aide into my office and told her, ‘You're absolutely right. You saw through him straight away'.
David Blunkett said: "Sir John was an excellent Commissioner. I wish him well in seeking to sell his book. We have a shared legacy on which we can reflect with pride."
"aides" of Blunkett, appear to be back pedalling on the rumours that he is set ro return to the Home Iffice, according to Monday's Guardian newspaper:
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,11026,1567965,00.html
"The former home secretary also let it be known that he had no desire to go back to the Home Office, scotching reports that he was being lined up by Mr Blair to replace Charles Clarke. Mr Blunkett regards himself as having got his life back since returning to government as work and pensions secretary.
No 10 officials also denied recent reports of a cabinet reshuffle in the autumn."