The news that Sir Ian Blair resigned because he lost the confidence of Boris Johnson tells us two things. Firstly, that Sir Ian's limpet-like clinging to office demeaned him and the Met. He could have gone earlier and gone with honour. If he had taken the rap for any number of the failures he has been directly or indirectly responsible for, we could at least have some respect for him. I am afraid I think there is more to this resignation than meets the eye.
Sir Ian knew on 2 May that Boris had no confidence in him - he demonstrated it by treating Boris with contempt at his opening press conference, and has continued to do so ever since. Sir Ian clearly didn't reckon on the size of Boris's cojones.
And that's the second thing we have learned today - that Boris intends to see his agenda through and won't put up with people he either regards as incompetent or who stand in his way.
Having scored a brilliant goal today, Boris needs to go for the hatrick. And these are the two things he needs to do...
1. Scrap the western extention to the Congestion Charge zone.
2. Replace Peter Hendy as head of Transport for London.
Hendy is playing Boris for a fool. Everyone I speak to in City Hall sees it, but Boris still seems to think it's ok for Hendy to keep implementing Livingstone's transport policies. It isn't.
TfL needs a change of culture and Hendy is determined to resist it. It's one of the most bloated bureaucracies in government. Millions of pounds could be saved for the taxpayer by streamlining it and cutting out its excesses. Hendy attends meetings with Boris and spins him a load of cack. Boris needs to call his bluff and get rid of him.
UPDATE: Dan Hannan has MORE.
Yee ha! Go Boris!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Boris - his back bone does extend the full length of his spine
ReplyDeleteForgive my ignorance: if Blair is number 2, who was number 1 ?
ReplyDeleteWhat makes you think this was the real reason he went?
ReplyDeleteDoesn't anyone find the timing a little strange?
Way to go Boris - big hairy ones. Now get rid of Hendy and all their ilk.
ReplyDeleteAgree - curious incident of the dog that didn't bark in the night - Blair was rumoured to have some dirt on Blair, Livingstone and others. Can only assume he has nothing on Boris - hurrah - but that others may be worried about what comes out subsequently.
Where are Draper's brigade today?
The bottom feeders at the Beeb are trying to make it out to be purely on political grounds - bless....
I'm ignorant of the politics of local government in London but it sets an incredibly bad precedent if the Chairman of a Police Authority can effectively dismiss a Chief Constable without reference to the Authority.
ReplyDeleteBe careful what you wish for here. How many local council hacks will take this as carte blanche to dismiss their local police chiefs on a whim? It sets a very dangerous precedent for the relationships between local councils and the Police.
You might have a point if you actually related the facts. He didn't dismiss Sir Ian Blair. He resigned.
ReplyDeleteWhether its Boris or Dave, I'd like to see the end of the horribly divisive Black Police Association.
ReplyDeleteThis body, apparently catering also to Indians and Iranians, seems to be there to over-promote ethnic minorities and protect them from disciplinary procedures.
Get rid, or allow a White Police Association.
Anon 10.58
ReplyDeleteHeseltine on QT just pointed out that Boris was merely fulfilling his mandate in inviting Blair to resign. Lots of applause.
I thought the Tories oppposed political control of the Police
ReplyDeleteoh yes the last Tory governmnet and Clause 28 seem a long way away or maybe not
nothing to do wth Boris he was caught red handed
ReplyDeletebut dont let the truth get in the way
Boris has and had no right to sack the head of Police
only in his dreams
ps I hear another Deputy is on the way out....links with certain Watford incident
anon 11.21 It's not about political control, it's about fulfilling the mandate given by the electorate. Live with it.
ReplyDeleteno dirt on Boris then
ReplyDeleteso all the women are lying
or shouyld we ask his wife
I see the trolls are with us again...
ReplyDeleteSo when Labour called for Police control by local authorities in the 1980's that was wrong but now its ok
ReplyDeleteGet a life or admit you were wrong
It's not about political control, it's about fulfilling the mandate given by the electorate. Live with it. That's what Boris has done. If the Labour party suggested it in the 1980's then why are they so upset now?
ReplyDeleteDeregulate the Police
ReplyDeleteyou made such a good job of the City
few more weeks and capitalism will be dead and China will have all the US and UK debts
now thats what I call socialism
when do we get rid of the bendy buses
ReplyDeletewhen can motor bikes go in the bus lane
and when will we close down the congestion charge
Iain, you protest too much if you think there is any real difference between "effectively dismissed" and "resigned because of lack of support". This is horrendous from the point of view of the Police. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of this case it is truly scary if a Chief Constable feels obliged to resign because he "lacks the support" of the chairman of his Police Authority. What if that chairman was Derek Hatton... or Nick Griffin? This is not about Boris Johnson or London's local politics it is about a fundamental undermining of the independence of our Police across England, Wales and NI . Mayor Johnson has wet his nappy. He'll feel warm for a few seconds and decidedly uncomfortable afterwards.
ReplyDeleteSteve Norris to run TfL and Crossrail. Show the city that the Tories mean business.
ReplyDeleteYou couldnt be more right about Hendy. The biggest cronie of Red Ken and hes still in office running TfL. Unbelievable.Hendy needs to be removed forthwith together with all of Kens othere cronies still ruuning TfL. At the moment its Boris working for Hendy
ReplyDeleteThey call it constructive dismissal and Blair will get thousands
ReplyDeleteYou watch Knife crime stop overnight now Blairs gone as Boris promised at the election
ReplyDeleteOn the same basis as sacking all Kens crononies should councils sack all Tory voters
ReplyDeleteits called rights to vote have political views
and the law of the land
Can we please have more deregulation and privatisation
ReplyDeleteprivatise the Police
But the police shouldn't be independent, they should fulfil the will of the electorate, hence the proposal for elected police chiefs. Where political bias is unacceptable, it is where a police chief openly supports a particular political argument - eg in favour of ID cards or 42 days detention without charge. Had both of those measures been implemented, much as I detest them, I would agree that the police should implement them without fear or favour. Boris withdrew his support, not because of anything technical to do with policing, but because of the slew of "political" stories about Blair - including openly supporting the government politically, lies over the Menezes incident, the public spat with Asian officers, etc - which have damaged his credibility as leader of the force.
ReplyDelete@ freddy
ReplyDeleteif Blair is number 2, who was number 1 ?
Leninslime.
If Boris has such big cojones, how come he's gone to ground? His Deputy's performance on Newsnight was cringeworthy - "I'm not here to justify the decision"?!
ReplyDeleteBoris is a fool. This is going to rebound badly on him and on 'Dave'.
ReplyDelete