Andrew Mitchell must not be sacrificed to police mob, ex-Labour minister says

Chris Mullin, the writer and civil liberties campaigner who served as an MP for 27 years, urged David Cameron not to "surrender to the mob" by sacking the Conservative Chief Whip, who remains under pressure following his altercation with the police last month.

Accusing those stoking the row of making a "mountain out of a molehill," Mr Mullin described the Police Federation, which has repeatedly called for Mr Mitchell to be sacked, as a "bunch of head-bangers".

Describing his own run-in with the Federation, which, he said, had sought to have him removed as chairman of the Commons' Home Affairs Select Committee when he raised questions about the probity of the police disciplinary system, he said: "The Federation is a bully.

"It has a long track record of intimidating ministers, journalists and anyone else who gets in its way. It also has a track record of defending the indefensible."

In an article in The Times, Mr Mullin claimed that a lawyer friend who worked in the industry had told him that the Police Federation would even defend a police officer known to be guilty of murder.

He accused the organisation, which represents nearly 125,000 officers, of leaking details about Mr Mitchell's run-in with the Downing Street police to the Press, adding: "We all say things in the heat of the moment that we quickly come to regret and this incident was no exception.

"Mr Mitchell, who quickly recognised the error of his ways, duly apologised to the officers concerned and his apology was accepted. That should have been the end of the matter.

"All credit to the officers concerned in the Mitchell affair who are apparently still saying they don't want to take the matter further, despite the intense pressure on them to do so, no doubt.

"At present the Federation is trying to engineer a confrontation along the lines that Mr Mitchell has accused the officers concerned of lying. He has done nothing of the sort. He merely says they misheard him.

"The Police Federation is a mighty vested interest that has seen off just about all attempts to reform the least reformed part of the public service. They need to be taken on, not appeased."

The former minister's intervention follows claims from three Cabinet colleagues of Mr Mitchell that the Police Federation are seeking to exploit the row for political reasons, and in particular grievances about changes to officers' pay and conditions.

Representatives from the Federation met the Chief Whip in his Sutton Coldfield constituency on Friday, in what was described as an attempt by Mr Mitchell to clear the air, but emerged saying he had "no option" but to resign because he continued to deny claims by the officers involved that he had described them as "plebs".

The Police Federation did not respond to Mr Mullin's accusations.