Deputy Mayor fails to back Sir Ian

Kit Malthouse would not confirm whether the Met chief had his full confidence when pressed by members of the London Assembly, saying: "The Commissioner has a job to do and so do I and we are both working hard to make sure that will happen."

When questioned at City Hall yesterday during a hearing to assess his appointment as vicechairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority, he stumbled as he was asked to answer "yes or no" on whether Sir Ian enjoyed his full confidence.

He continued: "It's one of those crazy political questions where I am hung if I do and hung if I don't. The Commissioner and I have a very good working relationship. We are all trying to get through the problems at the moment and focus on the day job. If we can get that done then we would have achieved something I have to say."

He was asked about an article he wrote in The Times in January before he was given the role of deputy mayor of policing.

In it, he criticised Sir Ian over politicising the role of Commissioner, writing: "Sir Ian walks, talks and acts like a politician, yet he is neither elected, nor, it seems, is he accountable."

Asked if these comments compromised his working relationship with Sir Ian, Mr Malthouse said that it had not. "I obviously made a comment before I was elected and I have had to stand by it.

"He and I have had a conversation about his role as a police officer as opposed to being a political figure, but on an operational basis it's very productive and cordial."

Earlier this year, Mr Malthouse was forced to deny that he was plotting to get rid of Sir Ian after a number of private emails were leaked between him, MPA chief executive Catherine Crawford and the authority's lawyer David Riddle.

He said that he was merely investigating the "accountability and methodology" of the procedure to remove the Commissioner. Mr Malthouse also admitted that Mr Johnson's role as chair of the MPA will not be as hands on as was indicted during the election. Mr Johnson takes over the MPA chairmanship next month.

He said: "We expect that the day-to-day business of the chair's office will be performed by me and that I obviously will consult with the Mayor on key strategic issues. He will retain the executive power of the chair."

But he was accused of contradicting himself, having previously stated that the public in London would expect the Mayor to be in charge of the authority and police in London. "I don't think the public in London will see an inconsistency in him being assisted in that job," he said.