​Third sector asked to back calls for inquiry into undercover policing of protest groups

Scotland’s charities will have been infiltrated by secret police units – and individuals now working in the country’s third sector will have been been spied upon by undercover police.

That’s the claim made by campaigners who are now demanding the Scottish Government initiates a full public inquiry into political policing north of the border.

They spoke out after justice secretary Michael Mathieson refused to launch a probe – despite the police admitting that controversial undercover spycop Mark Kennedy had visited Scotland at least 17 times.

He is known to have had relationships with women while undercover, and is alleged to have infiltrated environmental groups ahead of the G8 summit at Gleneagles in 2005

Following a string of revelations, the UK government launched the Pitchford Inquiry into “domestic anti-extremist” policing in England and Wales.

It has ruled out extending this to Scotland, and the Scottish Government declined to launch an inquiry, with Mathieson saying it was neither "necessary or proportionate” after Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary (HMICS) found no evidence that Police Scotland officers have infiltrated social justice campaigns since 2000.

To imagine that somehow this has never happened in Scotland is patently ridiculous – quite clearly campaign groups and charities have been infiltrated

Dave Smith

However, Dave Smith, a blacklisted construction worker, secretary of the Blacklist Support Group and co-author of a book about undercover spying, said the HMICS report has all the hallmarks of the “police investigating itself” and of being an “old fashioned establishment cover-up”.

Smith uncovered nefarious activities among employers after discovering he had been blacklisted by collapsed construction giant Carillion after raising concerns about safety issues.

He told TFN: “The answers you get depend on the questions you ask. This report only goes back to 2000, so if that’s the remit you completely discount the miner’s strike, the poll tax, all of the big industrial battles of the 70s, 80s and 90s, the environmental movement.

“It’s inevitable that groups here have been infiltrated. To imagine that somehow it has never happened in Scotland is patently ridiculous. Quite clearly campaign groups and charities have been infiltrated.

“If the question is: were any Scottish citizens spied upon by undercover units, or any of the charities and campaign groups, then the answer would clearly have been yes. If I was an activist based in Scotland during the 90s, I would be livid. It’s a complete and utter whitewash."

He said that as many people working in the third sector today have backgrounds in social justice movements, they will inevitably have been spied upon – and unjustifiably so.

“What we’re talking about is not spying on criminals," he stressed. "The vast majority of people on the national domestic extremism database have not committed any crime – they’re just spied upon because of that they believe.

“The decision of the Scottish Government not to hold a public inquiry into undercover policing in Scotland means justice will be denied to many north of the border.”

All sections of Scottish society are directly or indirectly affected by this particularly the third sector with its link to environmental and campaigning issues

Dr Nick McKerrell

Smith’s calls have been echoed by other activists.

Dr Nick McKerrell is a lecturer in law at Glasgow Caledonian University. He found himself on a construction industry blacklist because of his involvement in protests against the M77 motorway extension in Glasgow in the 90s.

He told TFN: “The tactics revealed by the initial stages of the Pitchford Inquiry illustrates the pervasive tactics of infiltration of protest groups was widespread. It is inconceivable this did not spread here. In fact the HMICS report used by Scottish Government to refuse an inquiry even admits that undercover cop whistleblower Mark Kennedy visited Scotland 17 times.

“All sections of Scottish society are directly or indirectly affected by thism particularly the third sector with its link to environmental and campaigning issues. There is a great need for a fully transparent public inquiry in Scotland – despite the stated position of the Scottish Government.”

Environmental campaigner Tilly Gifford wants a public inquiry to investigate claims that she was targeted by undercover police officers who wanted her to spy on fellow activists.

In 2009, she was involved with Plane Stupid, which was protesting against airport expansion.

She was arrested during a protest at Aberdeen Airport and police wanted her to feed them intelligence on the group in exchange for cash.

She said: "We know now that up to thousands of campaigns across the whole of the UK, in Scotland as well, have been targeted by undercover political policing and it is time for a full public inquiry.

"We need to know who was targeted, how and why, and who commissioned these policemen to come into our lives and affect not only our campaign but to destroy personal lives?"

"I want to know how long I was followed for. I want to know who decided I was to be a target. I want to know who these officers were."

The SNP government has ruled out an inquiry, despite protests from Labour, Green and LibDem MSPs.

Justice secretary Mathieson said: "I appreciate there is some legitimate public concern about undercover policing activity in Scotland, and I took those concerns into account in reaching a decision. However, on balance, I consider that establishing a separate Scottish inquiry is not a proportionate response.

"There is no evidence of any systemic failings within undercover policing by Scottish police.

"I have again written to the home secretary asking her to reconsider extending the terms of reference of the undercover policing inquiry to allow it to look at the activity of English and Welsh police units in Scotland."

However, Labour’s Neil Findlay said: "the police inspecting the police in this whitewash simply will not do".