THE CREDIBILITY of the spycops inquiry lay in tatters today after a mass walkout by core participants who refused to lend the inquiry “a legitimacy it does not have and does not deserve.”
Growing frustration with inquiry chair John Mitting, who has granted full anonymity to the vast majority of undercover officers, came to a head when the core participants and their supporters left the hearing in protest at being treated as “mere window dressing.”
The inquiry into the Metropolitan Police’s Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), which infiltrated political groups — with undercover officers often engaging in long-term sexual relationships and committing crimes to maintain their cover — has been bogged down in anonymity applications since it was established three years ago.
The daughter of a legendary blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter has spoken out against the reactionary move, says MIKE SCHNEIDER
BEN CHACKO reports on the struggles against sexism, racism and the brutish British state that featured at Matchwomen’s Festival this year
To quell the public anger and silence the far right, Labour has rushed out a report so that it can launch a National Inquiry — ANN CZERNIK examines Baroness Casey’s incendiary audit and finds fatal flaws that fail to 'draw a line' under the scandal as hoped
While claiming to target fraud, Labour’s snooping Bill strips benefit recipients of privacy rights and presumption of innocence, writes CLAUDIA WEBBE, warning that algorithms with up to 25 per cent error rates could wrongfully investigate and harass millions of vulnerable people



