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Top cop resigns after meeting with Boris
6:07pm Thursday 2nd October 2008
BORIS Johnson is being blamed for Sir Ian Blair's resignation as Met Police Commissioner.
Britain's top cop Sir Ian Blair announced his resignation today (October 2) saying he could not continue in the role without the mayor's support.
The pair met yesterday and Sir Ian said the new mayor had told him he wanted a change of leadership at the Met.
Sir Ian said: "I am resigning in the best interests of the people of London and of the Metropolitan Police Service.
"I would have wished to continue to serve Londoners until my time of office expired in February 2010.
Not backed by Boris
"I understand that to serve effectively the Commissioner must have the confidence of both the Mayor and the Home Secretary.
"Without the Mayor's backing, I do not consider that I can continue in the job.
"Personally I see no bar to working effectively with the new Mayor, but it is there that we differ and hence I am unable to continue."
He will leave his job on December 1.
Mayor Johnson says the commissioner is doing the right thing.
In a statement he said: "Sir Ian Blair has made a lasting and distinguished contribution to policing, in London and across the UK, for the last 34 years.
"He will be especially remembered for his successful introduction in London of the Safer Neighbourhood teams and for falling crime levels virtually across the board.
"In the face of a chronic and dangerous terrorist threat, he can be very proud of his record in helping to keep millions of Londoners safe from harm.
"But there comes a time in any organisation when it becomes clear it would benefit from new leadership and clarity of purpose.
"I believe that time is now.
Mayor Johnson took over as the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority yesterday.
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M, sidcup says...
1:25am Fri 3 Oct 08
patriche, bexley says...
5:38am Fri 3 Oct 08
Wasn't Blair the guy who introduced Safer Neighbourhoods who took over a force with 24,000 demoralised officers and leaves a service with 32000 officers plus 6000 PCSOs?
Are the crime figures not put together in accordance with strict counting rules laid down by home office?
Is the murder rate in LOndon still 4 times left than New Yorks?
Has Overall crime decreased over the last few years in both sets of statistics i.e police recorded crime and British Crime Survey?
Yes he may have made some errors of judgementand not recieved the sort of support he might of anticipated from some high ranking officers, but overall He hasn't done too bad a job.
Resident, London says...
7:19am Fri 3 Oct 08
Mark, Dartford says...
9:44am Fri 3 Oct 08
This country, is now out of control, with crime issues.
Government is more to blame.
Headhunter, Bexley says...
8:18am Mon 6 Oct 08
But like above I do agree this country is now out of control and Labour are to blame.
I do hope that the issue of putting children out of the education system when out of control, but their is not enough places which can accomadate them so it leaves open the streets to most of them, which is why we have many out of control youths on our streets, they are not checked on by welfare services as they should be so this problem needs to be address asap. I think more control over what schools can do would help, some schools to which I will not mention in this borough are a rule to their own. Which has to stop.
Cupcakes, says...
7:05pm Tue 7 Oct 08
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Sir Ian Blair has resigned from his job as Met police commissioner
Boris Johnson told Sir Ian Blair he wanted a change of leadership at the Met
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Excalibur, Bromley says...
9:17pm Thu 2 Oct 08
He or she needs to be someone who will stand up to the politicians, tell them when to button it and kick their backsides when interfere or they try and make policing a political topic.
We must never again get to the stage when an officer of this rank can be driven from office by a political campaign - it's far too dangerous a path to go down.