Dua Lipa declines offer to perform at Fury v Joshua
Dua Lipa will not perform at the upcoming Fury vs Joshua heavyweight bout.
BBC News1 min read
Met police commissioner denies ‘intervening in politics’ after accusing Polanski of fueling tensions – UK politics live
TL;DR
Met police commissioner Mark Rowley denied accusations of political interference after criticizing Green party leader Zack Polanski for his comments on police conduct during an arrest. Rowley expressed disappointment over Polanski's amplification of what he called inaccurate commentary that could undermine police confidence.
Key points
- Mark Rowley denied intervening in politics
- Rowley criticized Zack Polanski's comments
- Polanski reshared a post alleging police brutality
- Rowley expressed disappointment over misinformation
- Concerns raised about undermining police confidence
Mentioned in this story
Mark RowleyZack PolanskiMetropolitan policeGreen party
Morning, welcome to our UK politics blog.
The Metropolitan police commissioner Mark Rowley has denied he was “intervening in politics” after he wrote an open letter to Zack Polanski over the way officers arrested the Golders Green attack suspect.
He accused Polanski of fuelling “rising tensions” after the Green party leader reshared a post on X which said: “Essentially his officers were repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head when he was already incapacitated by Taser.”
In the open letter published on social media, Rowley said he was “disappointed” that the politician had amplified “inaccurate and misinformed commentary” that “undermines officer confidence to act”.
Metropolitan police commissioner Mark Rowley during a meeting with representatives from criminal justice agencies in 10 Downing Street on Thursday. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/PA
The public spat comes days before the local elections, with commentators questioning whether Rowley’s letter breached regulations that prohibit police from engaging in political activity.
Rowley denied the letter to Polanski meant he was “intervening in politics”.
“When somebody influential puts something out there which is incorrect and can undermine the confidence of my officers to protect Londoners, they need to see that I’m supporting them to give them that confidence to carry on and do their job,’ he told Times Radio.
“I’m not intervening in politics. He was intervening in operational policing and I need to defend my officers’ ability to do that.”
A Green party source said: “Zack has seen the video like everyone else, and doesn’t know the full picture and knows it was a very difficult situation for the authorities, but we do need to understand more about the response.”
You can read more on that story here:
In other news, police are assessing if nationwide marches can go ahead, as ministers are pressed on the timing and details of the prime minister’s
Q&A
What did Mark Rowley say about Zack Polanski's comments?
Mark Rowley accused Zack Polanski of fueling rising tensions by amplifying inaccurate commentary regarding police conduct.
Why did Rowley write an open letter to Polanski?
Rowley wrote the letter to express his disappointment over Polanski's comments about police actions during an arrest, which he deemed misinformed.
What incident prompted Rowley's criticism of the Green party leader?
Rowley's criticism was prompted by Polanski's resharing of a post that alleged police brutality during the arrest of a mentally ill suspect.
