God's Cop (Part 1)

James Anderton was the most controversial police officer in modern British history. A hero to some. A reactionary menace to others. This is the story of how the chief constable of Greater Manchester Police brought a moral crusade to the streets of 1980s Britain, becoming an electrifying public figure famed for his outspoken views and religious zeal. His outrageous comments about AIDS and cryptic remarks about being ‘used by God’ - prompted a crisis for Margaret Thatcher’s Government and brought the police force to breaking point. In this episode, Yakub, Dean and Chris discuss James Anderton’s childhood in a Wigan mining community, the origin of his profound religious worldview, his early years as a beat cop in south Manchester and meteoric rise to become chief constable of Britain’s largest provincial police force.

 

Special thanks: Manchester BIPC Music; Image: Hardman Creative; Our podcast music was provided by The Podcast Host and Alitu: The Podcast Maker app.