Palace security review announced (Reporter in Palace!!!)

BBC ^ | November 19, 2003

[Howlin]

Palace security review announced

Home Secretary David Blunkett has announced a review of Buckingham Palace security following a lapse ahead of President Bush's visit.

An undercover reporter worked for two months as a footman at the Palace after applying using a false reference.

Mr Blunkett told the House of Commons that the Security Commission would conduct a thorough review.

He said employment checks on the man were "insufficient" but appropriate criminal checks were carried out.

Meanwhile Mr Bush carried on with his engagements, making a keynote speech at Banqueting House in London.

In it, he defended the war on Iraq and he vowed to defeat terrorism.

One of the strengths of our democracy is that such breaches are open to scrutiny, that we can learn quickly from them and that nothing is swept under the carpet

~~~David Blunkett, Home secretary

He said the US and UK sought "the advance of freedom and the peace that freedom brings".

The Daily Mirror said its reporter Ryan Parry managed to get a job despite unprecedented security arrangements throughout London in the run-up to the presidential visit.

Mr Blunkett said that while the day-to-day police protection of the Royal Family was crucial, checks on other people who work closely alongside the royals were also "key".

He said there was a comprehensive system of security and criminal checks as well as normal employment checks - "in these circumstances even more vital".

Security and criminal checks on Mr Parry were carried out "robustly and correctly," Mr Blunkett said.

"But the employment checks proved insufficient."

Buckingham Palace was reviewing its vetting procedure, but Mr Blunkett felt the "system as a whole" needed urgent review.

Report

The terms of reference and timetable for the review by the Security Commission, an independent body responsible for overseeing breaches of security, have yet to be decided, but Mr Blunkett said he hoped to have an interim report by the end of the year.

He expected the review to cover "all aspects of the process of checking those who form part of the Royal Household".

"One of the strengths of our democracy is that such breaches are open to scrutiny, that we can learn quickly from them and that nothing is swept under the carpet."

In August, Mr Parry responded to a job advertisement on a recruitment page of the Buckingham Palace official website.

On his CV, he left out any mention of his journalistic career and included one fake reference and a real one, the newspaper claimed.

Scotland Yard has put in place a £5m operation which will see more than 5,000 police on the capital's streets for the state visit, while hundreds of armed US security staff will also guard the president.

"All the agencies involved are vigorously looking at the issues," Scotland Yard deputy assistant commissioner Andy Trotter said.

"It's quite clear that the man is not a terrorist and he's not a criminal.

"But it's most unfortunate that the Palace has employed a journalist and I'm sure that those who have that responsibility will want to look carefully at their processes and procedures."

A White House spokesman told the BBC that despite the security breach at the palace, "the White House still has confidence in British security".

The alleged security flaw will compound the embarrassment caused by comedian Aaron Barschak, who gatecrashed Windsor Castle during William's 21st birthday party in June.

Shadow home secretary David Davis pressed Mr Blunkett on who would accept responsibility, particularly after his personal pledge on royal security following the Windsor Castle breach.

"The seriousness of this security lapse cannot be overestimated," he said.

"Given this undertaking that you gave to this House, do you accept personal responsibility for the events of the past few days, and will you act, and act soon, to bring to an end this catalogue of incompetence?" he asked.

'Incredible access'

Mirror editor Piers Morgan said the paper used "very basic subterfuge and got incredible access".

"To our surprise and then mounting horror we discovered that our man with no training, no experience at all, no real vetting was in very close proximity to the most important people in our country," Mr Morgan told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He described the reference checking as "scandalous" and "shoddy".

Mr Morgan alleged that someone from the palace rang Mr Parry's local pub where he had given a name as a character reference.

"That person had left and they shouted down the bar: 'Does anyone know Ryan Parry?' To which some man in the corner drinking, said: 'Oh, I know him, he's a good guy'."

[Howlin]

Great work, Bobbies!!

No wonder the Secret Service was worried!

[Howlin]

Ahem.

[MEG33]

Good grief!

[Howlin]

Now where are those articles from last week that were poo-pooing all the demands the SS made before Bush's visit?

[onyx]

Proving once again that Bush's security knows it's business. Our media makes me sick. And mad.

[Carolinamom]

I'm angry and completely fed up that the media pretend that THEY know it all and that by their "reporting" of their own take on this administration that we should depend on them to shape our opinions. They're not as smart as they think they are with their silly egos.

[doug from upland]

Just amazing. Our company goes through these scenarios all the time. There is no such thing as foolproof security.

[onyx]

You and me both. Ninety-percent of them want him to fail and I think half of the ninety percent wouldn't be saddened were he to meet JFK's fate, God forbid.

POTUS is too honest and too forthright to suit them. He's bested them every time, and ther contrived scandals have never grown legs with the public.

[Lady Jag]

Refresh my memory, please. Have we ever had media secretly plant a reporter in a position involving high level US government security?

[Howlin]

Not that I remember, you?

[Lady Jag]

No. That's why I asked. I cannot recall a planted reporter in the US and my first reaction on reading about this UK one was that it seems a pretty stupid thing to do.

[MeekOneGOP]

[mewzilla]

Security by Fife, British division.

[mewzilla]

Did you hear about how the reporter's references were checked? He listed a local pub as one reference. Someone from Buck House called over to the pub and got one of the patrons who was holding up the bar, then the patron went on to assure the caller that the guy in question was a good egg and nice guy. No-one else was called. Real good, huh?

[doug from upland]

Did they talk to Sam, Norm, Cliffy, Frazier, or perhaps Woody while he was stoned?

[mewzilla]

LOL. But it could'a been Osama for all they knew, couldn't it?

[prairiebreeze]

Another embarrassment for the Queen...

Fox News was reporting this early this morning. They might even have had the journalist on, but I'm not certain

Prairie