The biggest question I have, and has not been explained, is why are cyclists banned from using the main gates?

At a guess it might have something to do with the amount of explosives one could pack into a bike frame.

In this case because a Police Officer informed him not to! Of course being a Tory MP he was of the opinion that he was above the law and did not need to obey the directions of a police officer!

So what makes a difference on the size of the gate used?

Exactly, It smacks a bit like an officer having one over on someone for the sheer **** of it.

That is what I was thinking. This sniffs of a 'jobs worth', or possibly more political than that.

Oh well,I might as well join in on this one.
Downing St is a very strange thing!.

MrsNM had a meeting there with an aide,she had 6 colleagues, about street work legislation.
I was not meant to be there. But it is not often you get a Downing st snap. So I turned up.

They all went through the metal detector hut. I arrived and asked the PC on duty by the gate if it was okay to stick my camera through the gates as it was my wife in the last group.

I think it was probably my charm.He opened the gate and ushered me through. No metal check for me.
I took a couple of snaps. One of the blokes had a broken arm which I cloned out later.

And they all went in, there I was in the middle of the road and a huge Limo sweeps in."Welcome Your Majesty"...

At a bit of a loose end I asked the PC on the steps of No 10 If he minded if I took a photo . He said you stand next to the Christmas tree by the door. And I'll take your photo. Which I have. After a rather unexpected morning,
I headed on leaving ,with profuse thanks to everyone, straight across the road to the Red Lion by Old Scotland Yard.
For a much needed stiffener!
ce.

'Name dropper'!

I never mentioned the cat! And it wasn't Dame Helen Mirren either.
Probably some Sultan or other.
ce

Opening security gates is not like opening your average garden gate. The ones on Downing Street and other like sites are designed for vehicles - along with the road blockers just inside the gates. The side gates are designed for pedestrians and cyclists and are much easier to monitor/operate. Most sites would designate that cycles do not use the vehicle gate, as their opening also creates an opportunity for people to charge the gap created. The team has a whole range of monitoring processes for when any gate is open and thus a potential for breach created. Done well, people barely notice those procedures being conducted.
As for his Mightiness being allowed through the gate on previous occasions, that may have ben when the gate was already open for a vehicle to pass through and therefore no issue. Also, easier and quicker to monitor one open gate than two.

As for CE being allowed in, an officer made a decision on his own that was likely outwith his authority. Again, I am sure (and hopeful) he was assessed and monitored every step.

The MP was being a pompous a**e, on the basis of the media coverage of the event. The PF reaction is OTT and the matter was best left to NSY and No 10 to resolve.

Quite right about all of your post. NWN. I remain foxed as to why I was let in.
I still go on charm, and not being pushy. And I didn't even ask to go in.

All the people who went in had No10 passes. I had nothing.
I just asked if it was OK to stick a camera through the bars.

Anyway it was in Tony Blair's first period as PM. It is so long ago that I am sure
any faults will be forgiven. I am sure an eye was kept on me.....
I did feel a bit lost when everyone had gone inside and I had Nothing Much to do.

When I first arrived in London you could walk down through to the park and the Pelicans.
ce

That explains it - the Officer was hoping you would shoot the PM.......

That is pretty funny NWN...
What the group was trying to explain to an aide,
after they were told to leave phones on a silver platter.Was that most roadworks
are not utility jollies. In London Margaret Thatcher demanded cable. So roads were dug up to lay.

Then someone said we need to fix all the Victorian mains. So roads were dug up again.
Utilities don't like doing this for fun. It is cold and miserable for the Clancy Docwra chaps down the pit.

Ken Livingstone had some pet projects. Apart from Newts. Which were blamed on utilities .
I won't bore anymore.

A real case of pots and kettles. The Minister was being a complete *** (think that's spelt right?) then again so were the jobsworths on the gate. And haven't they milked it. Don't think either party has come out of this with any distinction.

Come on CE don't hold us in suspense, a few of us would like to know!!

Of course, he is not a Minister.......
I don't see the decision not to open the gate as 'jobsworth', just proper security process - you don't create a 10' gap to allow a cycle through when there is a 3' gate provided for the purpose.....

The government have not milked it - they wish it would all go away. Someone clearly passed the story to the press, but on a normal day there would be dozens of sightseers in the vicinity. We may never know how the story became public. What I saw reported from the PF chap was a bit heavy, but with the row over paying 13.7% towards a reduced pension, and in the week of the Manchester incident I suspect it was a bit emotional....

I think security fits in the same bucket as health and safety these days. Right and proper but the refuge of those who don't do anything productive but hide behind feigned authority. Of course we don't know the whole story - but suspect many of us have been in similar situations.

Of course that doesn't excuse a foul mouthed response - would have been far better and more effective if complaints has been made later and higher up. We all might have benefit.

Not a Minister granted, but a senior member of the Government, In any event, that matters little - the issue is really about a fierce response to an apparently over zealous implementation of rules. I would have reacted just as hot - but would not have used bad language or made it personal.

Should have made it clear, I meant the Police had miked it - using the very reasons you gave. Don't think I'm alone in feeling outbursts like that are just as bad and actually detract from the campaign they are seeking to support.

It would appear to one ,who at best is disinterested , that the whole episode only emphasises how badly behaved we have become as a nation . This has nothing to do with plebs ,patricians ( which the " honourable member for Sutton Coldfield is certainly not ) or any other appellation one cares to attribute in order to departmentalise their social standing , just a case of standards in free fall .

Incidentally the Roman Empire eventually crumbled because of similar attitudes ,so be warned .

It seems he went to Rugby. I certainly played cricket there against them..As a youngster.
Looks like old school charm got me through the armed guys and the gate to No 10.

Silly prat.
What does he want, a Zil lane for his bike?

I thought of sending a snap of myself taken by a PC .On 10's steps. Probably best not to.
Even after all the years I think I would end up on Have I got News for you..
ce.

Actually, Sir, I wholly agree!

I agree. I don't see how the police officer was a jobsworth, like NWNREADER says, there's a protocol, and it's in the nature of a security barrier that you need to exercise a healthy degree of respect and deference to the officers guarding it. If politicians can't understand the need to show the police respect then they really have lost the plot.

Feel free to purchase - All Plebs together

Even better, send one to Mr Benyon.....

That I suppose is very much the point. Implication that the Police and by inference we are lesser mortals. The fast use of words suggesting they are common currency with his colleagues. Think my initial reaction was tempered by other personal experiences of people (not just Police) simply enforcing rules. Certainly wouldn't want him living next door!

Government would be easy if people would do as they are told......... by the Government, of course!

Very true, very profound!

Andrew Mitchell's bike horn for sale - http://politicalscrapbook.net/wp-content/u...tchell-horn.jpg

I simply don't believe the police made up
the comment.
The chap is only a few years younger.
Same type of school.... sure we used plebs all the time.
But that was almost 50 years ago, We should have grown up. Most of us did.

Hard to tell if the police knew what was meant anyway.
Maybe I'll send him my N0 10 Christmas Tree snap for fun. With a bike.
ce

I find it a bit odd how the media hounds are latching onto and perpetuating the 'Pleb' word, but almost nothing about the alleged foul language in the presence of numerous members of the public. The supposed police report makes clear it was that conduct the officer warned His Grandness about. In other words, the media think the 'class' issue more important than foul language.

Naturally - the idea that politicians are better than the rest of us....

You are quite right. Think there is a now little used offence - 'uttering profanities on public. There was a response calling for better public manners a short time ago, because things had deteriorated. Suspect this demonstrates we've hit rock bottom. All started when a few pundits / comedians started using bad language in broadcasting - thinking it would be seen as stretching the boundaries and even funny. In reality, we've found it isn't - just boorish and boring.

This is because it is a political motivated issue. As you say OTE, I think the shock is the bad language in public, directed at a police officer. That is a disgrace and he should have walked, but he joins the long list of ill judged people David Cameron PM has badly associated himself with. I'd also ask how did The Sun get the story?

The Met has already launched an inquiry into how the police report got to the press.

And how - by your friends be ye known!!

On the Edge. I thought your last comment apposite. I expected it to be based on "Et tu Brute"
Interestingly it goes back to biblical references.
Wiki teaches you something you didn't know you needed to know every day!
ce

His denial is just normal government speak. He denies using the "specific words" attributed to him. This could be the police officer putting an extra "and" in his report.

Hi, I thought that was disgusting of a member of Parliament to call somebody a pleb. Where is the respect nowadays? More so from somebody who gets his pay from ordinary tax payers.

That's what Pleb's were invented for?

As does the "pleb"!

Hi. Oh, that is naughty. But funny.

Surely the biggest point here is the insulting of plebs by likening them to police officers.

Try saying that face to face to the officers searching for the little girl's body in Machynlleth. The only pleb on here is you.

I bet they are taking full advantage of the overtime. I'm with Dodgy's brother on this one - sorry!

Aren't you supposed to be in America?

Not right now no.

Back on holidays then?

Oh do lighten up you pompous a*s.

Why not say it to the one who pushed Ian Tomlinson over? The 164 who found that their statements had been altered and failed to do anything about it @ hillsborourgh. I could go on. (I'm sure others will).

Stop being so po-faced. Lighten up. Get laid. Chill.

No just don't live there yet, it will have been two years since we applied in January. Hopefully they will let us know soon.

As a now retired police officer, who has franky been called much worse, I cannot get excited by the comments of this obviously abhorrent and out of touch politician. It does say much though our current political leadership, and their opinion of the public service.

I am concerned though about how much information that appears to have bee leaked to the press, as it implies to me, that members of the police service are also playing 'politics', and I ask myself "why" and "for what purpose?".

Following an investigation by Channel 4 news and their broadcast this evening, it appears not all is what it seems and a few people might be having to eat their words.