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Wanted: Outstanding Briton to be Met chief
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard6 Nov 2008
THE post of Metropolitan Police Commissioner is to be formally advertised tomorrow with the Home Secretary demanding a British citizen with an "outstanding record" in fighting terrorism and serious crime.
The advertisement for the £253,622-a-year job is to appear in Police Review.
Candidates for the role to replace outgoing Commissioner Sir Ian Blair have until 1 December to apply. An appointment is expected to be made by the spring at the latest.
The advertisement makes clear that Home Secretary Jacqui Smith will make the final decision on the appointment following "representations" from Mayor Boris Johnson and "recommendations" from the Metropolitan Police Authority.
The wording emphasises the commissioner's responsibility for fighting terrorism on a national scale as well as policing the 2012 Olympics.
A successful candidate will have "proven leadership skills" in operational policing, working with diverse communities and managing complex organisations. The advertisement continues: "He or she will demonstrate an outstanding track record in countering terrorism, serious and organised crime, and serious violent crime."
As many as 12 police chiefs - including two women and Britain's only black chief police constable - are lining up to submit applications.
The Home Secretary told Police Review: "I want somebody who will be able to command both the challenges of policing London with the national role of a Met Commissioner." Sir Ian resigned last month after being effectively forced out by the Mayor when he took control of the Met Police Authority. Mr Johnson's action was criticised by the Home Secretary and led to concerns at the highest levels in policing about political interference.
There are now fears that the Home Office will clash with the Mayor over the choice of candidate. The Standard has also revealed divisions among senior figures at City Hall over who should take over.
Mr Johnson is expected to rely on the advice of the deputy mayor in charge of policing, Kit Malthouse. He is known to favour the deputy commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson. However, senior Home Office officials - and at least two senior figures at City Hall - believe Sir Hugh Orde, the current chief in Northern Ireland, is the best candidate.
The split was underlined at a Policy Exchange debate on the role of the next Met chief last night. Mr Malthouse admitted he wanted a "pretty boring" numbers man, while former counter-terrorism chief Peter Clarke said frontline officers needed "inspirational leadership".
The advertisement says a new commissioner will occupy a "unique" post in British policing and will lead a force of 55,000 employees with a budget of £3.5 billion.
It states that applicants should be serving chief constables or of equivalent UK ranks and the post will be for five years. It adds: "Because of the role of the Commissioner in national security, applicants must be British citizens", formally ruling out any speculation that a foreign police chief such as Los Angeles police boss Bill Bratton could take the role.
Publication of the advert was reportedly delayed because of a disagreement between the Home Office and the Mayor over the wording.
Sir Paul is the favourite to succeed Sir Ian, according to bookmaker Paddy Power. Sir Hugh and Kent police chief Michael Fuller are second favourites at 5-1.
Stephen House, the head of Strathclyde force, has made a surprise entry among the leading candidates with odds of 7-1.
Reader views (21)
How about GENE HUNT. Get in there.
- Frank, stoke on trent england, 08/11/2008 05:59
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The next Met Commissioner will be appointed by Jaqui Smith, The most useless Home Secretary in British history (no mean feat, given her NuLiebour stablemates!), and the decision wil be based primarily on political expediency.
It is the candidates' politically correct credentials and track record in praising the Glorious Leader that will be the deciding factors.
In short, the Met will get another Ian Bliar.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 07/11/2008 14:31
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Hopefully we'll get someone who'll stand up for his men and the public, and not a government bum licker. But as the Home Sec will probably choose we'll get another one awaiting his gong!
- Sue, Orpington, Kent, 07/11/2008 13:00
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A black commissioner, ideally a woman, would sure shake things up! Are there any suitable candidates out there? The impact would be profound.
- Neil, london uk, Airstrip ONE ., 07/11/2008 12:40
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"Outstanding" - let's have "Instanding". What a truism. Talk about stating the more than obvious, but these are only politicians and civil servants.
- Dai, London, 07/11/2008 11:29
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Jeremy Clarkson and make him a High Court Judge amd Mayor also
- Patrick, Singapore, 07/11/2008 06:08
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Kit Malthouse continues to blabber rubbish because when faced with professional ex-coppers like P clarke he is exposed to be clueless individual he is. Significant operational policing and a track record in counter terrorism sounds like Sir Hugh.
- Anon, London, 06/11/2008 23:41
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What is this "British Citizen" nonsense?
What we need is someone who is "fit for purpose" and has the "necessary experience" - end of!
If, for example, the best candidate for the job turns out to be a 5'8" Mexican then so be it! Provided the candidate has all the necessary credentials then let's get him/her recruited and put to work immediately!
Given the Job Spec mentioned in the article (fighting terrorism & policing Olympics) it would appear that the best candidates might be Australian, American or perhaps Canadian if the candidates' "first language" needs to be English!
- Fraser, Telford Park, 06/11/2008 18:51
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John of Leighton Buzzard - Come on noe jaqui Smith is not going to appoint Boris Johnson now is she?
- Sunil, London, 06/11/2008 18:44
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This really is a nonsense. Everyone 'in the know' is aware that the decision about who is to be appointed as the next Commissioner was made months ago (as all such senior appointments are made), behind closed doors in the Home Office following discussions between the Home Secretary; the No 10 Head of Strategy; the Chief HMI (Ronnie Flanagan), and Boris Johnson.
All parties have a vested interest in pretending that this is an open competition, but it is no such thing. Forget about the '12 police chiefs' filling out application forms - everyone knows that they are only there to make it look as if there is a wide field of applicants. I know of at least two who have refused to play the game and will not apply because they know that the outcome is a foregone conclusion.
- Exmetacpo, London, 06/11/2008 15:55
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I thought that Boris was about to appoint Inspecteur Closeau
- John, Leighton Buzzard, Beds, 06/11/2008 15:52
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It might be an idea to allow the various levels of the Metropolitan Police through the auspicious of their representative bodies, to indicate collectively who they wish to lead them. Policing and Politics do not mix and the Labour government have been very keen to do just that. The hard nosed hard working coppers of the Met will know exactly who is best for them, and it will not be some uniform carrier who has greased his way up the ladder by the fast route, and licking politicians backsides.
- Robert El-Cid,, Hull, East Yorks.,, 06/11/2008 15:42
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Policing isn't boring. It is what you make of it just like any other job.
All of my collegues and I joined with the best intentions inthe world. We WANT to make the world better, we want to catch criminals. Conversely, we also know the best way to do it - it IS our chosen profession after all. Would you require democratic control over your local hospital and tell the doctors how to treat cancer?
I know who most of the repeat criminals are in my little patch of heaven, sometimes i can catch them, sometimes I can't. It's an imperfect system, but, it's the best we've got short of a police state.
Let us get on with it, we know what we're doing.
- Frontlineplod, london, 06/11/2008 15:21
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I don't understand why the national security role precludes a non-British national. What level of security clearance does citizenship automatically confer? I would hope that any potential candidate would be well vetted in any event.
- Blackstone Coke, London, 06/11/2008 15:11
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Not a British citizen, the candidate should be a proper Briton born in this country, not some immigrant who swans over here from Iraq or Iran and is given one of the millions of GB passports handed out every year like confetti. That's where they went wrong with those two models of loyalty Ghauffer and Ali Dessai. They're not British and have no love, loyalty or affiliation with this country - they're no more than self-serving fifth columnists out to get what they can from a state foolish enough to employ them and PC enough to keep promoting them and to overlook their little indiscretions.
- Squiz, Islington, 06/11/2008 15:00
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This is the excercise of politics over policing. Perhaps it is even the first steps of Mr Malthouse's campaign to become the next Mayor of London?
- Richard, London England, 06/11/2008 13:02
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Johns is a fine one to talk when he's just introduced politics into it by 'sacking' Blair. Lets have elected CC; perhaps Paddick may consider standing.
- Dhanraj, Basildon Essex, 06/11/2008 12:06
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If your reporting is accurate,the desire for a numbers man would seem to rule out the two (so far)women candidates. Equal ops?
- Maureen Long, Loughton Essex UK, 06/11/2008 11:53
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Politicians should then stay out of Policing. A very worrying trend is developing where Boris and his Merry Men have decided they know how policing should be conducted. No doubt the Police will soon have to ask permission from Mr Malthouse/ Mr Johnson when they want to carry out a high profile action. Wouldn't want to upset the Focus Group.
- David, London, 06/11/2008 11:18
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If people want a police chief who gets political then he has to be elected not appointed. Elections go with politics and people. A
Maybe Boris and Malthouse recognise this.
- Antoine Desmoines, London, UK, 06/11/2008 10:50
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'The men and women that do a difficult job out there on the streets do no(sic) want leadership that is boring, they want leadership that is dynamic and focused'
Surely policing should be boring by its very nature. It's time the police realised that what they want is unimportant, it's what the public wants that counts and the public wants high profile, front line plods, on the street, doing a very boring job. More local democratic control over them might be useful too.
- Paul, Rochester, Kent, 06/11/2008 10:40
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