News from London Assembly Labour

London Labour: New Met commissioner must be appointed soon

Labour’s leader of the London Assembly says the Met must not be allowed to drift following Boris Johnson’s decision to force out Sir Ian Blair.

Leader of the Labour group on the London Assembly and former chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, Len Duvall, said:

“The Mayor appears to have blundered into this unilateral decision without a thought for the future of policing in London. Any commissioner will now be constantly looking over their shoulder, worried that a change of Mayor or change of government will mean they are forced from office. Londoners need to be confident the police are concentrating on keeping them safe, not worrying whether the Mayor will force them out.

“It seems that Boris has appointed himself judge, jury and executioner and is now compounding matters by indicating that he will not move to replace Sir Ian until a Tory government is elected. The Met must not be allowed to drift without firm leadership and the appointment of Sir Ian’s replacement must, as with previous appointments, be made totally on merit; not on party political bias.

“This is the first step on a potentially very dangerous road towards politicising the police. Londoners do not want to go down the American road where police and other public officials are removed on a politician’s whim.”