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I'll pick new Met chief alone, Smith tells Mayor
Pippa Crerar, City Hall Editor09.10.08
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith today deepened her rift with Boris Johnson by declaring that she alone will have the final say in the appointment of the new Met Commissioner.
In a letter to the Mayor, Ms Smith rejects calls by Mr Johnson for the pair to jointly interview the candidate and claims choosing Sir Ian Blair's replacement in this way would breach rules set up to ensure a "fair and open" selection based on merit.
Ms Smith also snubs calls by the Mayor for a delay in the appointment process, saying that a hold-up would not be in the interests of Londoners or the country, and dismisses suggestions that an overseas candidate could be chosen.
She and the Mayor had uncompromising exchanges last week over Mr Johnson's role in forcing Sir Ian's resignation. At the weekend the Mayor wrote to Ms Smith calling for a "fairly lengthy consolidation period" before the next Commissioner was appointed.
The Mayor said such "a pause to take stock" would benefit the Met and added that he wanted to be involved in both the shortlisting and final interviewing of candidates to ensure the needs of Londoners taken into account.
In her reply, Ms Smith rejects all of his key demands. She says that while she will "have regard" to the views of the Mayor and the Metropolitan Police Authority, she will make the final decision on who to recommend to the Queen after conducting the final interviews alone. She rules out delaying the selection, saying: "My responsibilities for policing in London and the nation make it impossible for me to add undue delay before making a recommendation."
The letter further rejects suggestions that a foreign candidate, such as Los Angeles police chief Bill Bratton who met Mr Johnson two weeks ago, could be appointed. "We need an exceptional top police officer, who should be a UK citizen not least because of the counter-terrorism sensitivity of the post".
Adverts for the post are expected to be placed shortly and an initial shortlisting and interview process will be carried out by Home Office Permanent Secretary Sir David Normington, the director general of Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism Charles Farr, two members of the mpa and one more independent person.
Ms Smith says that following this process, Mr Johnson and the MPA will be able to "form your views" and pass them to the Home Office, but she will take the final decision.
Earlier today, Mr Johnson said it was "complete tripe" to suggest that he wanted to wait until a Tory home secretary was in place.
Reader views (16)
This Home Secretary could not pick a winner in a one horse race let alone a responsible non political Chief of Police. I am surprised she is still in office. Don't let her get away with it Boris!
- Adrian, paris, france
Well done Jacqui, go girl, lets have more of the Eric Hoenecker principle of government: the Interior Minister picks the Chief of Police and basks in the admiration and gratitude of the Politbureau and incompetent senior policemen. Stop this now. Boris was elected on a mandate to improve things after years of Labour/Livingstone ineptitude. Let him get on with it.
- Peter Haldane, London
boris johnston would probaly pick jeffrey archer for met cheif if he had is way
- Mat, london
u cant take that smith seriously thou her as home office minister makes me cringe
- Danny, london
As a Londoner, I object very strongly to Jacqui Smith's bullying ways.
She does not have the right to pick the new Met chief on her own, it must be a joint decision between Boris, and unfortunately, Ms Smith.
We do not need, or want, another Met chief, like Sir Ian Blair, which is certainly what we would end up with if Ms Smith has her way.
We voted for Boris Johnson, as a clean slate for London, and so far, he is doing a grand job. If we had wanted Jacqui Smith to be in charge of things, we have left her good friend Red Ken in charge. No thanks.
Let Boris get on with what we are paying him to do.
- Peter Thurgood, London, UK
What does Jacqui Spliff know about anything?,-apart from protecting her own obscene salary and expense account.She lives in a warped parallel universe thats out of touch with everyday folk and reality.
- Jacob, Canterbury
What makes anyone think that BoZo's track-record so far on important appointments makes him in any way competent to appoint the head of our Police Service?
In any case, like it or not, the Home Secretary is by far the more senior political force, and BoZo better remember it!
- Fresh, London
Jacqui Smith is right.
Whilst Mr. Johnson can express his preferences, the appointment of a new Met police chief is not his responsibility. Of course this arrangement could be up for reconsideration, but that would require an act of parliament.
Mr. Johnson already went out on a limb by making Ian Blair's position untenable (politically bypassing the Home secretary) by refusing to work with him, but now that he got what he wanted he shouldn't try to push matters even further.
As to mr. Johnson's demand for a period of "consolidation", it's hard to see how the Met would benefit from a prolonged leaderless interlude. It's all very well for Mr. Johnson to wish for a new police chief who shares his political priorities, but he should work within the present legal framework.
- Golodh, London, UK
If the Mayor cannot fire someone who has clearly not been a success in his job, then what is the point of having a Mayor (very securely elecected, if your biased memory is up to remembering, Ms.Smith). It's clearly just another Manifesto promise ignored, and a cynical and undemocatic piece of dishonest chicanery, which at the next election, you and all the other liars and hypocrites in this lousy govwernment will live to regret. No wonder Failure Brown is scared to hold one.
- L.Taubler, London / UK
So New Labour will shoe horn a politically correct Met Chief into office and things will just deteriorate further.Labour are very good at ruining things.
- Mark A, london england
London is absolutely crime ridden and getting worse. Every expert you see interviewed seems to agree that a recession will mean an increase in crime. Surely selection for a job as important as this at such a critical time should involve a selection committee, which should include the mayor as they do have to work together.
Maybe while they are at it they could find us a new Home Secretary, Chancellor and PM !! Based on past performance I think its quite clear to most of Britain that Jacqui Smith shouldn't be allowed to pick her nose unsupervised, let alone select a new Police chief unaided!
- Emma, London
Boris should stick to his guns on this one; he was elected by over one million votes with a clear mandate to lower crime in London. It is only right that he if anyone should have the greatest say in who runs the Met.
- Edward Bellamy, Winchester, UK
Time for Boris to stick to what he really understands, TV commedy shows, and get a Mayor who cares about ordinary Londoners not City speculators.
- Richard, London England
Boris was responding to a widely-held belief among Londoners that Ian Blair's ability to continue had been severely compromised. Unlike the Home Secretary, who wanted Blair to stay on, he had the capital's best interests at heart. If anyone has tried to politicise this affair it is Jacqui Smith whose government was "in bed" with the Commissioner from Day One of his tenure.
- Alex, London
I was amused by Boris' ability to disarm John Humphries this morning on the Today program with a mixture of wit and incredulity at the tenor of some of the questions posed to him. It made a refreshing change from the usual tetchy and guarded responses from other politicians.
- Neil, London
Boris is the Tory's answer to Sarah Palin. One minute Ian Blair resigned and was not sacked, the next Boris decided he had to go. On Radio Four he just tried to laugh it off in the new right wing way. He just contradicts himself again and again. He'll start winking next.
- Norman Lament, Brentford
