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Outrage at £1m flat for Sir Ian Blair
Mark Blunden26.01.09
The former Metropolitan Police Commissioner came under attack today after it was revealed he still has use of a riverside “grace and favour” flat worth nearly £1 million despite quitting his job last month.
Sir Ian Blair stays with his wife Felicity in the three-bedroom, glass-fronted apartment overlooking the Thames in Chelsea.
Matthew Elliot, chief executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: “This flat is totally excessive as a benefit for a police officer and it's even more absurd Sir Ian has continued to use it after stepping down.”
The Metropolitan Police Authority bought the flat in 2005 for £985,000, soon after Sir Ian's appointment. An MPA spokesman said: “Details of the arrangements made when Sir Ian Blair left office will remain confidential. Sir Ian will vacate the flat by the end of this month.”
News that the former commissioner has not handed over the keys to the flat came as details emerged of a secretive bonus scheme rewarding the Met's top officers.
They shared more than £190,000 in one year as part of the performance-related Chief Officers' Bonus Scheme. It rewards 300 officers nationwide every year, although some are understood to refuse the payments.
Reader views (10)
Why was this wretched man ever made a Sir? he is a disgrace and has been sacked as being unfit for purpose, yet without any shame he still has his nasty nose in the trough
- Mark Armstrong, london. uk
And presumably there's a good lodge handy if he fails to keep it in good nick?
- Peter Seekings-Foster, Mildenhall, Suffolk.
why, oh!why, are we subject to having to accept, and pay for, these failures, installed for political and NOT meritorious reasons. The list is becoming enormous and the person who stands out the most is the man who lost discs containing the details of 25 million people. Despite his ineptitude he was handsomely rewarded.
- Bingham Macnamara, lymington, hampshire
If these bonuses are performance-related, they should be paying back in some years, surely?
- Mdj, E10, London, UK
Evict the man.Now.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne UK
It's a Disgrace, people in these Jobs and in the government are paid enough and as he also resigned why should he have an apartment, we are not talking about a few pounds yet again we the public footing the bill.
Give me one good reason why he or any one else is worth more than the salary they are paid.
I will say for myself and the bulk of the public enough is enough.
- Jacqui Bennett, Brierley Hill West Midlands
It must be a very very small flat if it is by the river in Chelsea and only priced at £1million.
- Richard, LONDON
Roz is quite right. No conscience at all.
- Fred, Horsham
Never mind not handing it back: why did he even have it in the first place . . . ?! There is no notion left of serving your nation with honour for a salary, is there?
- Roz, Chamonix, France
The police, the bankers, the hedgefunders, the politicians. And we are all fools to keep paying for it.
- Helen, norwich
