Press release: 9 October 2024 Attorney General ‘Keen to engage’ with Free Political Prisoners campaign and Home Office in turmoil over sacking Lord Walney For further info: Howard 07459055152; Tim 07795316164; Paddy 07958275270
Attorney General commits to engage with Free Political Prisoners campaign
The Government’s top legal adviser, Attorney General Richard Hermer KC, has opened a dialogue with the Free Political Prisoners campaign. In a letter to Defend Our Juries dated 4 October, he repeatedly stressed his ‘commitment to engagement’, while regretfully stating a meeting would not be ‘appropriate at this juncture’. This he said was out of concern not to prejudice appeals against lengthy jail sentences working their way through the courts. [1]
The letter came exactly one week after 320 people from the Free Political Prisoners campaign staged a free public exhibition in the road outside Southwark Crown Court. Previous efforts to engage, via open letters signed by celebrities and petitions signed by tens of thousands, had met with no response.
The Attorney General specifically referenced letters from Defend Our Juries dated 20 September [2] and 27 September [3]. These promised an escalating campaign of actions, the next of which will take place outside his own office at the Ministry of Justice on 24 October. He offered tacit approval for these actions, in the form of reassurances that:
“This Government is also committed to the rule of law and human rights, including the freedom of speech and the right to protest, which are essential elements of a functioning democracy… A key priority for me as Attorney is to be a leader in rebuilding the political consensus to secure the long-term resilience of the rule of law and fundamental rights.”
Defend Our Juries replied to the Attorney General on 7 October, reassuring him that they have no wish to discuss individual cases, only the generalised corruption of the legal system, violations of international law, and the role of arms and oil industry lobbyists such as Lord Walney, in shaping the criminal justice system to meet the needs of his clients. [4]
The Attorney General’s Office and the Home Office previously met, behind closed doors, with Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems to discuss the problem of jury acquittals of members of Palestine Action. [5] A transparent public meeting with concerned members of civil society would therefore simply represent a ‘levelling of the scales’.
Since these matters fall within his remit, it is hoped that an offer of a meeting may yet be forthcoming, before the 24 October action. If it is not, Defend Our Juries wrote:
“… we plan to mark 24 October, United Nations Day, with a free exhibition of political prisoners, past and present, outside your office in Petty France. The exhibition will be a lawful expression of our Article 10 and 11 rights, conforming to the principles set down by the Supreme Court in Ziegler.
“We will be pleased to offer you and your staff free entry to the exhibition, on condition that when the time comes for us to meet you inside your office, we won’t be charged for that either.”
Government equivocates over role of ‘independent’ lobbyist Lord Walney
Meanwhile confusion reigned over the role of Lord Walney, presented to the public as ‘the Government’s Independent Adviser on Political Violence and Disruption’ but in reality a paid adviser to the oil and arms industries. In a series of gaffs, humiliating to both Walney and the Government, twice it was seemingly let slip that he had been sacked, followed by hasty denials this was the case and an eventual admission that his departure may be imminent, due to his serious conflicts of interest.
27 September: Following the call to #SackLordWalney at the Free Political Prisoners exhibition outside Southwark Crown Court, Walney publicly called on Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper to ignore the calls for his sacking. [6]
4 October: The London Assembly seemingly let slip that he had been sacked, by listing him as a ‘former’ Government adviser on their website, but claimed this was a mistake when questioned about it. [7]
4-8 October: The Home Office was evasive in response to questioning, refusing to give a straight answer about whether Walney was still in post. [8]
8 October by 1pm: The Home Office appeared to have indicated Walney’s removal from office, prompting various news outlets, from Byline Times to Guido Fawkes, to report that he had been sacked from his role in response to the demands of campaigners. [9]
By 7pm: A few hours later, the Home Office u-turned, claiming this was (another) mistake, that he had not in fact been removed and remained in post. Walney crowed triumphantly about his ‘ongoing role’ on social media. [10]
By midnight: In a further devastating twist however, the Home Office had revised their position again, telling The Times that Walney’s position is under review due to his serious conflicts of interest. [11]
Tim Crosland, one of the coordinators of the Free Political Prisoners campaign, comments:
“Lord Walney is a paid lobbyist for the oil and arms industries, using his position to silence and jail political opponents of those industries. Presenting him as an ‘independent adviser’ is an appalling deception of the British public. It’s hardly surprising that his ongoing role under the Labour Government is a source of tension and embarrassment within the Home Office. It’s a reminder of the power that stands behind him, that today he remains in post, free to extend his corruption of democracy and the rule of law.
“We call on everyone who finds this unacceptable to join us in standing up for democratic freedoms outside the Attorney General’s Office on 24 October.”
ENDS
For further info: Howard 07459055152; Tim 07795316164; Paddy 07958275270
Notes for editors
[1] Attorney General letter to Defend Our Juries, 4 October
[2] Defend Our Juries ultimatum to Attorney General, 20 September 2024
[3] Defend Our Juries letter to Attorney General and judges, launching direct action campaign, 27 Sep 24
[4] Defend Our Juries reply to Attorney General, 7 October
[6] https://x.com/LordWalney/status/1839663357269278992
[7] https://twitter.com/PlanB_earth/status/1842185596023845265?t=EE5nt5hCwuFZ893mwzQi-g&s=19
[8] https://bylinetimes.com/2024/10/08/keir-starmer-lord-walney-anti-extremism-left-office-adviser/
[10] https://twitter.com/LordWalney/status/1843709697637134496?t=WG7dJ2pSn–JOFnD6pZKfg&s=19
About Defend our Juries:
Defend Our Juries has the following aims:
- to bring to public attention the programme to undermine trial by jury in the context of those taking action to expose government dishonesty and corporate greed
- to raise awareness of the vital constitutional safeguard that juries can acquit a defendant as a matter of conscience, irrespective of a judge’s direction that there is no available defence (a principle also known as ‘jury equity’ or ‘jury nullification‘)
- to ensure that all defendants have the opportunity to explain their actions when their liberty is at stake, including by explaining their motivations and beliefs.