Conservative activists in MP Andrew Mitchell’s constituency have urged David Cameron to bring him back into the cabinet – saying they hope that “justice will prevail”.
Margaret Waddington, chair of Sutton Coldfield Conservative Association, also revealed she had received an unexpected letter of support – from a local branch of the Labour party.
She said that the Birmingham MP should be invited back into the top levels of Government.
He was forced to resign from his Chief Whip post in October last year following reports that he abused police officers by calling them “plebs” – but the claims have since been discredited.
One PC, Keith Wallis, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to a charge of misconduct in a public office and admitted he wrongly claimed to have witnessed the argument. He has been jailed for 12 months.
Mr Mitchell insists he lost his job because lies were told about him.
And Mrs Waddington spoke out after she received a letter offering the MP support from members of the Labour Party.
The Chair of West Bromwich East Constituency Labour Party wrote to her “to offer our support and solidarity over the unjust treatment of Mr Mitchell”.
His letter was prompted by a confession by the constituency’s Labour MP, Tom Watson, who said he had publicly condemned Mr Mitchell when the “plebgate” affair first became public but now realised that this had been unfair.
Mrs Waddington said: “We are grateful for the widespread support Andrew has received and we are particularly grateful to the West Bromwich East Labour Party and the sense of fairness they have shown in the motion they have passed.
“We hope that justice will prevail and Andrew will be restored to the Cabinet.”
In his letter to Sutton Coldfield Conservative Association, Labour councillor Simon Hackett said: “At our recent Constituency General Committee meeting, Tom Watson MP outlined the circumstances that led to the resignation of Andrew Mitchell MP.
“Mr Watson explained how he had made the classic error of believing what he read in The Sun newspaper. Having done so, Tom publicly questioned Mr Mitchell’s conduct and character at the time.
After Tom explained how he had apologised to Mr Mitchell, we had a long discussion about how shocking it was that he could have had his character traduced in such a way.”
He added: “Local Labour Party members have asked me to contact you to offer our support and solidarity over the unjust treatment of Mr Mitchell.
“Our parties disagree on many things but we believe that Mr Mitchell has been mistreated in a way that has severely harmed his public standing. Nobody in public life deserves such treatment and we hope one day his parliamentary life can continue unimpeded by this dreadfully unjust episode.”
Mr Mitchell is understood to hope to return to Government, although not necessarily in the role of Chief Whip. He was previously Secretary of State for International Development, a role he tackled with enthusiasm.
It was widely reported that David Cameron offered him a £250,000 a year role as the UK’s European Commissioner once Baroness Ashton stands down later this year, but he declined on the grounds that he did not want to quit his role as MP for Sutton Coldfield.
In a statement last year, Mr Mitchell set out the impact the affair had on his family.
He said: “I have told the truth about this incident. The police did not.
“My reputation was destroyed. I was vilified, relentlessly, over 33 days, with over 800 hate emails received during the course of that first week.
“I and my family were driven from our home with as many as 20 journalists and photographers camped outside. My children were followed by the press. My 92-year-old mother-in-law pursued in Swansea. I was spat at in the street.
“I lost my job after a career spanning more than 25 years in Parliament serving my Constituents, my Party and my country. What does all this say about our Police and about basic fairness and decency in our country today?”
