In the Lords on 6 February, Alistair Lexden continued his campaign to bring Mike Veale, the discredited police chief, to book. Since his vendetta against Sir Edward Heath in 2015-17, Veale has been at the centre of a series of scandals.
On I February, the criticism to which he has been subject led to his resignation as chief executive officer of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland— an extraordinary appointment in the first place since he is facing a gross misconduct hearing in Cleveland. That case, which was announced in August 2021, ought to have started long ago, but it has been stalled by the person due to preside over it, known as the legally qualified chair.
Speaking on 6 February, Alistair Lexden said: “Is it not astonishing and deeply disturbing that in Cleveland, a legally qualified chair whose name is unknown to the public is holding up a gross misconduct hearing, announced in August 2021, at which Mike Veale, the discredited policeman who besmirched the reputation of Sir Edward Heath, will finally be called to account?”
He reminded the House of the Home Office’s position. “When asked about this, Ministers say that an anonymous chair may delay proceedings when it is in the interests of justice to do so. They also say that it would be inappropriate to comment further since proceedings are ongoing. Proceedings are not ongoing—they have not even started.“
He then went to the heart of the matter: “How can it possibly be in the interests of justice to delay this hearing indefinitely while giving no explanation at all as to the reasons? The Home Office will surely have made full inquiries about this matter since I have raised it several times. What does my noble friend the Minister [Lord Sharpe ] have to say about the extraordinary state of affairs in Cleveland?”
What he had to say was to say again what he had said before: that it is entirely a matter for the Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner. Members across the House, including the former Labour Home Secretary, Lord (John) Reid, pointed out that the Home Secretary has the powers to intervene, which seemed to come as news to Lord Sharpe. Asked why the Cleveland legally qualified chair remained anonymous when others elsewhere were named ,he said: “ I do not know.” As to the continuing postponement of the Veale misconduct hearing, he said mysteriously: “There are specific circumstances which make me unable to comment.”
After this abject performance, Alistair Lexden wrote to Lord Sharpe, telling him that if no action was taken, he would make clear in the Lords that the PCC in Cleveland was now open to the suspicion that he was deliberately shielding Veale from justice.
