IPCC chief in pocket of Home Office

A parliamentary committee will be talking to the Independent Police Complaints Committee's Nick Hardwick today. Don't expect him to get a grilling from the the very same parliamentarians that granted all those powers to the police in the first place. The IPCC is of course financed by the Home Offfice and it's lack of independence will no doubt be on display today as it tries to explain, if asked, its cosy relationship with the police and government.

Hardwick says we need a national debate on policing. No, what we need from his IPCC is for it to do its job and help to bring violent and criminal police officers to account.

But isn't it remarkable what a difference a week makes as media outlets, and others, apparently fall over themselves to start focusing on police behaviour instead of demonising peaceful protesters.

In addition to our new converts in the media in the fight against police brutality, we also have Tory politicians like Boris Johnson calling for a speedy and transparent inquiry. Government and politicians are racing to catch up with a mood of outrage.

In truth the 'concern' from the establishment and wider business community is more with the damage the killing of Ian Tomlinson, and the exposure of the accompanying widespread police violence, has done to the credibility of the police among those previously supportive of the legitimacy of the police as the state's main internal guarantor of order. And all this happening as social upheaval breaks out across the world in tandem with the spreading 'great recession', although in some countries it will surely be a depression.

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