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Storm over Boris Johnson, 'Sheriff of London'
Nicholas Cecil and Justin Davenport27.11.09
Labour MPs today condemned Tory plans to make Boris Johnson "sheriff" of London as part of radical police reforms.
Home Secretary Alan Johnson warned against "creeping politicisation" of the Metropolitan Police.
He spoke out after the Standard revealed that the Mayor is in line to become David Cameron's first elected police commissioner if the Tories win next year's general election.
The minister said: "The idea that one of Boris's henchmen can call up the Commissioner of the Met every few hours to tell him how to run the police will fill people with dread."
Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling insisted that new laws would be introduced to stop the Mayor or other elected commissioners interfering in operational police decisions.
Emily Thornberry, Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury, dismissed the safeguards: "The idea of bungling Boris becoming sheriff is, to say the least, deeply worrying.
"I don't think even Londoners who voted for Boris would want to trust him with the power to overrule senior, experienced officers when it comes to operational matters."
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne added: "An elected sheriff could lead to even more rabid politicisation of policing than we have already seen under sharp-shooter Boris."
The Tories denied that politicians would be able to influence day-to-day operations. Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson would remain in charge of operational policing.
The Mayor would be responsible for policing strategy and priorities, hiring and firing the commissioner, as well as setting the budget and part of the council tax.
The Metropolitan Policy Authority, which is chaired by the Mayor, would be scrapped and its scrutiny role handed to the London Assembly.
Police chiefs have also hit out at the proposed changes but the Conservatives are determined to push them through.
Mr Grayling hailed Boris Johnson as the "pathfinder" for the reforms. "We envisage the Mayor of London being the elected police commissioner," he said. "This would strengthen the role of the Mayor.
"However, I'm absolutely clear that no reform we introduce will allow any elected politician to interfere in operational policing and we will make absolutely certain that the independence of operational policing is protected in law." Mr Johnson sparked huge controversy by forcing out former commissioner Sir Ian Blair.
Sir Hugh Orde, head of the chief constables' association, has warned that police chiefs could quit rather than serve under directly-elected commissioners.
The Mayor today said: "It does make sense to make some reforms. You have to scrutinise the police in the most democratic way. There is a bit of an overlap in the roles of the MPA and the London Assembly.
"We need to refine the system and not have endless duplication. The point is to see what we can do to have the most effective democratic scrutiny."
Reader views (34)
The thought of Boris Johnson becoming Commissioner for Police is pathetic and frightening. Even Mr Bean would be better suited for such a post .
- Mr Leon, London
Boris, would like to keep voting for you, but after your back tracking on the withdrawal of the C charge I already have slightly cold feet, but if you keep following the slippery slope of your predecessor, the King of the meddling I won't. Thanks for not letting me down Boris. Have a great day.
- Thierry, London UK
"The bullingdon boys with their eton rifles parading around parliment square. "
Rather that than a bunch of socialist whingers counting the chips on their shoulders...
- St, London
What the Lisbon Treaty actually means to us:
The end of the Lib-Dem, Labour and Conservative Parties
Page 16 Article 8A-4. “Political parties at European level contribute to forming European political awareness and to expressing the will of citizens of the Union.”
What does this mean? At the EU’s Party Financing Conference in Madrid in June 1999, parties at the European level were defined as parties with voters in more than 10 countries. The Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem Parties have voters in only one country, Britain.
Under this clause, British parties do not contribute and do not express the will of the EU’s citizens. That empowers the EU to abolish our Lib Lab Con, the very parties whose leaderships have worked so hard to illegally force us into the EU.
Not possible? Read the ½ page 1933 German Enabling Act. It didn’t mention political parties, but was used to abolish them. Given Lisbon removes the last 20% of Westminster’s powers, it makes perfect sense to close Westminster when its current five year term expires in May 2010. By then, it will have been powerless and defunct for 17 months.
- Bill, Hay~Heath UK
Why would Londoners want Bungle the bear as police chief - Do we get Zipee and George as his deputies.
Leave policing to professionals.
- Tim Taylor, London
The upper echelons of the Met are packed with mediocrities, promoted far beyond their abilities. They spend quite a bit of their time jostling for position, promotion and power. I shudder to think of some of the Assistant Commissioners and Commanders I have met over the years being put in ultimate charge of London policing.
To hear Labour accusations of political policing is almost funny, given the previous terrible two: Blair and Livingstone.
- Sarah North, London, UK
Those who support elected police force chiefs obviously have no idea of what this leads to in America. Or perhaps they do and they just can't wait to get that power. UK a police state? You've seen nothing yet!
- Ted, Melbourne Australia
Slowly but surely Cameron and his cronies are coming out in their true clours. What next? The bullingdon boys with their eton rifles parading around parliment square. It could only happen in England.
- James Hennessy, Manchester England
When Boris was originally elected 2 years ago I distinctly recall him stating that among his first priorities was to "look" at the congestion Charge. I assumed from that statement that he was intending to scrap or reduce the charge. No; we now know what he meant was that it was his intention to INCREASE the charge to a tenner! That's what "looking" at it meant! Moreover,what about his commitment to cancel the western extension to the congestion zone? Two years down the line we are still waiting for this pledge to materialize. Now we hear Cameron wants to install him as our senior copper. Do me a favour,please!
- Patrick Churchill, Goffs Oak Herts
The CPs quite rightly realised Damian Greensv encouraging a colleague to leak official secrets may have not been worth prosecuting,But Boris as head of the Mpa still talked with Green about it, Does this mean if Boris is head of the met that he will decide whether any politicians should be prosecuted if he feels theem breaking the law is in the public interest.
- John, london
An excellent decision. Boris really is the only politician people trust these days and this is another notch on his career path to prime minister once Cameron has stood down. Long live Boris!
- Chris, London
This must be a joke, is it April already?
- Rod, Epping, UK
Does this mean some more chicken feed for the fat useless slob?
- D.W., London
This is a power grab, currently the MPA has cross party membership, if this goes ahead some of that power will go to one person, Boris the tory puppet.
- Jacqui Smith'S Dvd Collection!, Hackney, London
Boris Johnson popular with the general public - I don't think so. He certainly has some supporters but many of his voters were making a vote against Ken Livingstone not supporting Boris Johnson (many of whom are regretting their actions the further into the term we go)
- Andy, london
One option of course it to elect the police authority itself (the MPA). As a former member of the MPA myself, I was struck by the fact that its legitimacy was to some degree compromised by the fact that it was quite centrally controlled. When half the 23-strong membership is effectively appointed by government (at one level or another) and the other half is appointed on the basis of proportion to seats on the London Assembly, you have the recipe for politicisation anyway. However, the MPA has had an impact - more impact than the London Assembly itself - and it has undoubtedly proved its worth. When the disparate elements worked together they could make a serious impact on policing and did. The Conservatives need to think about how they can adopt the best parts of the MPA and its work to fit their own logics (indeed I hope they do have some logical stance rather than just one involving a further increase in centralisation).
- Damian Hockney, London, UK
ANON PC - I couldn't have put it better myself, you are spot on!
- I Couldn'T Possibly Say!, Orpington, Kent
This is dangerous - it's not just London but UK wide the Tories are proposing to allow politicians to dictate the operational activity of the Police. Imagine Nick Griffin running the police in Yorkshire?
- Mike Dunn, London SW16
There should be a separate elected police chief. The mayor should not take both roles - not because Boris is not capable but because these are 2 very important jobs which deserve 2 people devoting their full time to them.
I'm also not sure the candidates should belong to political parties. In America, where this idea comes from, you don't vote for a Democrat or a Republican police chief, you vote for an experienced cop.
You have to laugh at the Labour representative talking about "politicised police" though.
- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent
Great! He could only make an improvement. He might get them concentrating on arresting the "oiks" instead of harrassing law-abiding people.
- Mph, Essex
Boris Johnson is popular with the general public,and that fact alone puts him in a different class to most politicians who are generally despised by everybody throughout the land,bring it on Boris you can't fail.
- Sperm Count Dracula, Bent Kent Region1648A EUSSR.
Is this a joke?
Boris Johnson makes Ken Livingstone shine - he bumbles alongs huffing and puffing and doing nothing for London. He's delaying all his manifesto promises and is devoid of new ideas.
It'll be like having inspector Clouseau running the met... God help us (and the police).
- Culverin, London
An elected Commissioner of Police would be a positive reform. Maybe then the MPS will stop being stifled by self-egotising senior officers who pander to the Home Office's whimsical ideas and short-termist approach to police work. An elected commissioner could drive the Service towards higher standards, better efficiency, and set clear objectives that would directly benefit the Capital in a more immediate way.
- Anon Dc, Harlow, Essex
Dare I Say :
" On your bike !"
- Bernard Parke, GUILDFORD
elected police chief = good
mayor to do his job and elected police chief's = bad
elected police chief should be a policeman with a mandate, and his own term. Mayor could drop him from ticket at end of term, or fire him and install temporary police chief until new election
- Andy, london, uk
this man is an idiot - the Met are by no means perfect but with Johnson in charge it will be chaos!
- Andy, london
This is quite literally the funniest and the scariest hedline and article I have read in a long time!
- Bruce, London
Could you imagine it? Boris would probably surround himself with some more Tory Cronies who would have to resign one by one as they were exposed to public view. Boris should stick to knockabout comedy politics which he does so well.
- Bill Bailey, Basing England
Elected by whom?
I voted for him as I absolutely detested Livingstone, but I wouldn't vote for Boris as the effective Chief of Police.
What London needs is a proper policeman in charge with the clout to police London how it demands to be policed, without interference from transient, here today gone tomorrow, politicians and the PC Brigade.
- Mark, South-East London (SE22)
Unfortunately the Chief constables have only themselves to blame. To deny that the police service is already not politcally controlled is defending the indefensable. The Home Office calls the tune to which senior police officers are only too willing to dance to as they value their careers above everything else. Instead of central control, having a locally elected police commissioner maybe worth a try. The police service is doing such a bad job with the vast amount of resources gifted to them by labour, anything is worth a try. First job Boris and his like ought to do is to sack the PCSOs. We don`t need imitators, we need the real thing back on the job.
- Brian G, Norfolk Gorleston
Since our appalling Labour Government, not to mention Socialist Action Mayor Livingstone, politicised our police long ago now it is a bit rich for anyone to now accuse the Tories of that when what they want to do is return policing to being about law and order rather than about political correctness and Labour's new pet thought crimes.
- Matt, London, UK
"The reforms are bitterly opposed by some police chiefs who fear the politicisation of their forces."
Is that a joke?!
The terrible politicisation of the Police started over 5 years ago when Nu-Labour installed their puppet Ian Blair - and look what a disaster that turned out to be.
All we have seen is :-
-More suffocating bureacracy for frontline officers
-Ridiculous over-obsession with political correctness and quotas for "Visible Ethnic Minorities" recruits
-Endless policies and tick-box initiatives driven by knee-jerk reactions to widely reported incidents
-Proliferation of action taken by criminals using the "Human Rights Act" despite having committed serious crimes
-Massive damage to the morale of hardworking frontline Police Officers being commanded by promotion-chasing desk-bound Senior Officers who have no idea what's going on at ground level
-Resentment by the public/victims of crime who feel the Police are just their to collect the government's revenue
This list could go on but ultimately it is about time we had elected Police Commissioners - Having worked with the NYPD in New York and visited the city many times, it is clear that their elected Police Chiefs have done an incredible job of keeping the streets safe and have improved the reputation and morale of the Police significantly.
- Anon Pc, London, UK
Len Duvall, how on earth can having an elected person in charge represent a "be a bad day for accountability of the Metropolitan Police"
I do wish these Boris-bashers would think before they speak, otherwise they will lose all credibility and Boris will then have no credible critics which would be a bad thing for any politician.
- St, London
Heaven help us.
- Dave, london
