'Carlo Neri' was a police mole in Hackney Socialist Party, east London, between 2001 and 2006

‘Carlo Neri’ was a police mole in Hackney Socialist Party, east London, between 2001 and 2006   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Lois Austin

New allegations claim an undercover cop who infiltrated the Socialist Party may have tried to provoke a dangerous criminal act.

Investigations found earlier this year that ‘Carlo Neri’ was a police mole between 2001 and 2006. The Guardian recently published comments from two former members of the Socialist Party, who now allege Neri hinted at inciting arson.

If true, this is an appalling example of police manipulation and hypocrisy. The Socialist Party and its forerunners have always totally opposed such methods. As one of the former members making the claim said, “It wasn’t something we’d ever do. We just weren’t up for it.”

Police infiltrators and agents provocateurs are anti-democratic tools of the bosses’ state. Their purpose is to undermine and derail protest movements and socialist organisations, to shore up the power and privilege of the super-rich.

Socialist Party members have won core participant status in the official Pitchford Inquiry into undercover policing. But the trade union and labour movement must also launch an independent, democratic inquiry into political policing.

Open surveillance of protesters has increased markedly in recent years. The movement around Jeremy Corbyn is part of a new wave of political and industrial militancy. The state, representing the interests of big business, cannot be trusted not to try dirty tricks as this movement grows.

  • Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance public meeting: ‘Voices of the spied upon’ – 10 October, 7-9pm, The Venue, University of London, Malet Street WC1E 7HY – reserve for free at www.eventbrite.co.uk