Sir Ian Blair resigns
Commissoner of the Met Sir Ian Blair has handed in his resignation to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith following a meeting with the Mayor of London.
Commissoner of the Met Sir Ian Blair has handed in his resignation to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith following a meeting with the Mayor of London.
During the meeting, Sir Ian was told that he did not have the Mayors confidence.
Sir Ian was given the top Met job in 2005 and has faced a number of calls to step down after appearing to be too close to the Labour government during his time in office.
Since the new Mayor was given the power to chair the Metropolitan Police Authority, Mr Johnson made it clear he intended to use the power as soon as it came into force on October 1.
Sir Ian said that he would have wished to continue to serve Londoners until his contract expired, but that the new Mayor had made clear in a very pleasant but determined way that he wanted a new leader.
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.
Sir Ian has faced huge controversy, particularly following the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes shortly after the London bombings.
The Home Secretary has accepted Sir Ians resignation with great regret, and paid tribute to his work through a time of unprecedented terrorist threat.
The Home Secretary has asked Sir Ian to stay until December 1 so the process of appointing a successor can be put in place.
She said: You have been Commissioner at a time of unprecedented terrorist threat and have led the force in disrupting a series of plots as well as helping to bring many terrorists to justice. You led the Met through the dreadful events of the London bombings on July 7, 2005 and dealt with these with decisiveness and courage to bring the city back to normality. As commissioner you have played a major role in shaping our national counter terrorism capability.
At the same time, you have secured significant falls in crime in London and have been at the forefront of the introduction of neighbourhood policing across the capital. Your contribution and drive to see these projects through were instrumental to their success and this leaves a lasting legacy.