The Pitchford Inquiry does not extend to Scotland and its current remit is only to report on undercover police operations conducted by police forces in England and Wales since 1968.
Both myself, MP and MSP colleagues as well as the Scottish Government are extremely disappointed that the new Prime Minister – and former Home Secretary – Theresa May, has decided the inquiry will not examine events that took place in Scotland nor the activities of undercover officers who operated in Scotland. I strongly believe that the inquiry should be extended to Scotland so that Sir Christopher Pritchard can report on and examine the role of Scottish police officers working undercover, the code operated under, undercover control systems, the ethics and legality of undercover policing methods and the impact on Scottish political, environment and social justice campaigners and their families.
The SNP Scottish Government have continuously pressed the UK Government to enable the inquiry to deal with the actions of relevant Metropolitan Police units in Scotland. Indeed, the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Michael Matheson MSP, has written to the Home Office seeking a geographical extension of the inquiry so all evidence is considered – irrespective of which jurisdictional boundaries it crosses.
I know that my colleagues and I at Westminster have, at every available opportunity, sought to bring pressure on the UK Government to extend the inquiry and we will continue to do so.
