Background
Andrew was arrested in May, 2022 for various alleged offences.1 His police bail has been extended five times from then until August, 2023.
When bailed he made a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with the Conservative Chief Whip to distance himself from parliament. Neither expected police bail to last 15 months.
Politics
Non-attendance from parliament for 15 months is unique. It begs the question whether Romford is represented as it should be. A pragmatic solution, to what was hoped to be a temporary embarrassment, has become a nightmare. Andrew’s absence means the Chief Whip and he have denied Romford their democratic rights.
Worse, Romford Conservative party members were deceived during Andrew’s reselection process. They didn’t know he was persona non grata 2 in the parliamentary Conservative party. As a long-standing MP with an excellent track record he could have been reselected anyway.
Police Bail
Is 15 months of police bail an abuse of the system?
“The officers making the decision to extend police bail must be satisfied that the investigation by police has been conducted diligently and expeditiously, and that keeping the person on bail whilst the investigation is conducted is both necessary and proportionate.”3 (my emphasis)
Five extensions are shocking.
Conclusion
Andrew deserves better than this and so do the people of Romford.
Notes
2 persona non grata meaning – Search (bing.com)
3 How long can I be kept on police bail? – TV Edwards Solicitors see also The Perplexing Reality of Extended Police Bail | London’s Defence Lawyers (stuartmillersolicitors.co.uk)
Politics in Havering 