Michael Matthews

Writer / Commentator. Former Met / Scotland Yard officer. 20+ yrs experience with US police. Books: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

American Ruin - now available in paperback, e-book and audio

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

@michaelcannell @MinotaurBooks Reading this now and enjoying it very much!

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

@afneil Having been a police officer in the UK (Met), and having spent many years working with US police (and writing books about them), I can state with absolute certainty that the strict UK gun laws are nothing but a good thing, including having mostly unarmed police.

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

Still here.
Still checking in. Still writing, policing, and commentating on LBC radio and elsewhere.
Just not posting as much.

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

I’ll be on @lbc with Richard Spurr at about 1am to speak about failures in police vetting.

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

@80s_Kidz There is no bad 80s movie.

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

@NotThatBigIan I found Henry Henning’s book about Stakeknife, Four Shots in the Night, quite eye opening!

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

@afneil FIFA the new Nobel?

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

@BettyBoochichi2 I spend a lot of time with police departments in the United States and have seen first hand the issues with mayors having any kind of control over police. The UK system is - thankfully - different and needs to be kept that way. Politicians and police should remain separate.

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

I’ll be on @LBC just after 7am to talk about the knife attack on the train at Huntingdon.

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

I’ll be on @LBC with Richard Spurr around 3.30am to talk about 735 police officers in the past year, being banned from returning to service.

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

I’ll be on with Richard Spurr on @LBC at about 3.30am to talk about the Police Federation claim that Police Scotland are becoming 'security guards' for A&E, which is 'crippling' national force.

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

I’ll be in @LBC with @IanpayneLBC at 6.50am to talk about the @BBCPanorama investigation into the Met Police.

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

I’ll be on @LBC with Richard Spurr between 1.30-2am to talk about a “confidential review” recommending the routine arming of London Metropolitan Police officers.

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

I’ll be on @LBC with @IanpayneLBC in about 45 minutes to talk about the manhunt now underway following the murder of Charlie Kirk.

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

Follow the arrest of Graham Linehan at Heathrow, I will be on @LBC at 6.50am tomorrow morning with @IanpayneLBC to discuss free speech in the UK and US.

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

@OBlossie @elniedunne @ameliabombelia @HJoyceGender @RosieKayK2CO @Glinner I can't comment on the whys. You're asking the wrong person. People were questioning why there were five armed cops. My original post was simply to point out that the arrest was carried out in a normal manner for Heathrow.

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

@LBC The police don't get to decide what laws they do or don't enforce. If there was an arrestable offence committed and the PM disagrees with it being arrestable, then he needs to change the law. Quiet rightly, changing the law is not the job of the police.

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

@elniedunne @ameliabombelia @HJoyceGender @RosieKayK2CO @Glinner I am simply explaining why the cops did what they did. It was normal for Heathrow. The ins and outs of the alleged offence, is not something I can comment on. The police quite rightly, and thankfully, don't make the laws, they simply uphold them, whether they agree or not.

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

@elniedunne @ameliabombelia @HJoyceGender @RosieKayK2CO @Glinner Let me clarify, "arrested at plane doors when able". Yes, people get arrested elsewhere at the airport, but arresting people at the planes is very normal. There's nothing unusual or nefarious about it

[Michael Matthews @mmatthewswriter]

@elniedunne @ameliabombelia @HJoyceGender @RosieKayK2CO @Glinner Arrests are always made at the plane doors. That's how it always is. Nothing special was done because of who it was. It was normal procedure.