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Comment: Putting politics into policing
Evening Standard comment12 Nov 2007
The latest crisis to hit the Metropolitan Police, the suspension of two officers over massive abuse of expenses, adds to the sense of crisis at the top of the Force. It is also likely to expose the narrowness of Met Commissioner Sir Ian Blair's political support.
Effectively, the Commissioner's own argument for why he should stay in post, following the Independent Police Complaints Commission report on the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes, is that there is still an important job to do in reforming the Met and he is the man to do it. But the expenses affair gives some idea of just how little progress Sir Ian has made, after almost three years, in transforming the Met's working practices and chaotic finances. Meanwhile it has been reported that the crisis in his leadership is now overshadowing the force to such a degree that a number of senior officers have become incapable of concentrating on anything else.
Yet all the signs are that whatever crises hit Sir Ian, he will continue to enjoy the staunch support of the Mayor, Ken Livingstone, and of the Government. No matter that reform has not been as successful as Sir Ian claims, Mr Livingstone seems likely to reject all criticism. Likewise it is hard to see the Home Secretary or the Prime Minister retreating from their expressions of support for Sir Ian, made in the wake of evidence of astonishing incompetence over the de Menezes killing.
It is hard to avoid the conclusion that those supporting Sir Ian are doing so for political reasons: the Government because of his forthright support for tighter anti-terror laws, especially the period for which suspects can be held without charge, and the Mayor because of Sir Ian's well-publicised support for multiculturalism. But those are separate debates. The only yardstick for judging the Met chief should be his effectiveness in policing London. Recent events suggest he does not deserve to keep his job.
Reader views (1)
You are right to say that it is Blair's cheerleaders - Livingstone, Brown et al - who are politicising the Met, rather than the overwhelming consensus of those calling for his resignation.
- Sg, London, UK, 12/11/2007 17:19
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