Morning:
8°c
I was relieved when Sir Ian Blair was appointed as Metropolitan Police Commissioner in 2005. He was known as a moderniser, a liberal-minded person in an illiberal organisation.
He stood in stark contrast to his predecessor, the domineering Sir John Stevens. Yet his leadership went badly wrong - and now he is trying to justify himself all over again in his account of it all, published this week.
The management team Blair inherited was deeply divided. Some of them just didn't "get" Blair.
His collegiate style, his need to debate, his affable manner - they looked like weaknesses they could exploit.
They briefed against him many times. The Tories disliked him too, looking for slips or simply misrepresenting him.
For the first few months all went fairly well but then the Stockwell shooting happened: things didn't go well again.
Quite apart from the deadly muddle that led to Jean Charles de Menezes's death, Blair made other mistakes, speaking out of turn to the press. His immediate team made yet more blunders in not keeping him properly informed.
Still, ultimately the shooting was a tragic event that could have happened under any Commissioner: procedures were flawed. Blair was unlucky - but he made an awful situation so much worse.
The following years were painful for those of us who still hoped he might liberalise the Met.
In spite of good intentions and falling crime rates, Blair seemed to get everything wrong publicly.
His blunder in lobbying for 90 days detention, for example, was a clear sign of his overstepping his role and being too political for the post.
After a wretched three years, Boris suggesting he step down must have looked like a get-out-of-jail free card.
He could end the nightmare of his job while not looking like a quitter, keeping lots of future salary, and taking the moral high ground at the same time.
It's nonsense to suggest that he was a victim of Boris's vanity or insecurity, or that Boris cared about Blair's profile being as big as his.
I think Boris saw him as two things: a blighted Commissioner who had to go for the good of London and a political opportunity to demonstrate change from the Ken regime.
In both, Boris was probably right, even though he had no authority to remove Blair. If Blair had wanted, he could have stayed.
The present Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, appears to be someone who would tell Boris exactly where to go if he tried to remove him.
In my view, Blair's asking for two months' grace was greedy. He should have packed his bags at once, handed over the keys to the flat and car, and walked away with his pride and reputation mauled but still honourable.
However, Blair can still play a role in London's policing. His views are valuable and his call for a Royal Commission on policing is fair.
The Met is out of step with society in many ways, while the force is constantly asked to police stupid laws.
A Royal Commission could cut through decades of dubious Met culture and suggest ways to make the Met fit for purpose for London in the 21st century.
Jenny Jones is a Green London Assembly member and a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority.
