The Sunday Times reports that Andy Hayman, the Met's Anti-terrorism chief, is under investigation over his expenses. I have to say there's something in this story which doesn't quite ring true. Hayman fell out with Sir Ian Blair recently and I wonder if this is Sir Ian getting his revenge. There are nasty insinuations about Hayman's relationship with his, gasp, female staff sergeant and the fact that they both stayed in a Heathrow Hotel before getting an early morning flight, despite the fact that he has a grace & favour central London flat. If that's the best they can come up with... I too have spent the night in an airport hotel before getting an early morning flight - doesn't mean I was shagging the person I was with, does it?
Andy Hayman was the Chief Constable in Norfolk when I was there, and I just don't buy the allegation that he's somehow crooked. I suspect it rather suits Sir Ian Blair for someone else to be in the spotlight at the moment and for him to look tough by launching an internal investigation. I could be completely off-beam with that suspicion, but let's face it, you can hardly blame me for wondering with his track record, can you?
"One official said", "senior sources said", "an officer said", "another said" & there is apparently no suggestion of anything criminal. Clearly somebody is trying it on - the article implies that it is a group of officers, at least at Hayman's level, attacking Blair through his friend. If so we will see him turning the place upside down to find out who. If not not.
ReplyDeleteI have commented before on the way the police have selectively leaked stories to the press about people facing prosecution & how this, by making a fair trial impossible, is a perversion of the course of justice.
This is not the first time that I have heard of a slack policy on expenses at the Met.
ReplyDeleteThe 'expenses trap' is a tried'n'tested management technique amongst those who like to 'have something' on their underlings. Need I say more?
My suspicion is that as the Met has the equivalent of a 'full order book' it now suffers from exactly the same staff problems that afflict similar organizations in the commercial sector, ie. a complacent attitude for one.
I don't care who or what Hayman might have been fornicating with - is he any good at his job?
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand if he's using public money (i.e. my cash) to get his leg over someone or something he ought to be sacked immediately.
Now, where do we start with that proposition?
Maybe New Labour want to clear the decks for their next man in as Met Chief....
ReplyDeleteIain
ReplyDeletesurprised you havent commented yet on bob the potless builder who has donated loads of of someone elses money to the labour party.
your mate ashcroft must be pissing himself laughing this morning.
Well with 2 million pounds worth of money unaccounted for expenses wise, I suppose they have to start somehere.
ReplyDeleteLike the NHS, Revenue & Customs etc, this seems to be par for the course.
Managed by ambitious Labour sympathisers, any dissent means you are quickly removed from any sphere of influence.
Maybe Hayman is a victim of Blair here, maybe he's just another twat who has been caught out.
I await with some interest to see which it is.
I think it is time that some forensic accountants were sent in to the MET and simila to see just where the billions have gone. The wastage will be appalling.
There are some people who should be arrested and charged for claiming overtime and other expenses for sure.
The fallout would be awful for the future of policing.
When do I get a gorgeous pouting female staff officer, and more to the point, when do I get a trip abroad eh? eh? honestly, these Met boys get all the perks. Here is Ruralshire, men are men and the sheep are worried. Long may it remain so.
ReplyDeleteOff topic but have you seen the report abut the properety developer funding the Labour party via friends to keep it covered up. Now we know the real reason why Labour wants to allow more and more house building. Its to keep its funding friends happy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with anonymous ... Bob the potless builder story is far more interesting ... Mail on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteExtraordinary stuff. Motive? And whatever that is how so very clumsy. They'll be giving semi-anonymous political donors a bad name if they're not careful.
Staying at Heathrow seems fairly sensible given the travel time from central London on the road (and senior police officers probably don't use the tube that much).
They might be sheep to you mate but to us Norfolk boys they are Falklands War Brides
ReplyDeletePS You don't say which bit doesn't ring true. You can tell by the cut of his jib that he's straight and true? Is that it?
ReplyDeleteHayman is a great copper and Blair is a pygmy in his shadow. The difference between the two is that Hayman is a policeman. Blair is a social worker.
ReplyDeleteBlair is acting just like his labour friends in government is he not!
I do hope Hayman wins the day. As for sharing the same hotel, gods sake, how many rooms does this hotel have, what are the records of the night?
This is Blair's attempt to discredit a good man.
Inspector Gadget who posted above is a top man . If Iain Blair was slung out & he was in charge we'd all be a damned sight better off.
ReplyDeleteTypical of the chap, too modest to put a link to his blog so here it is:
http://inspectorgadget.wordpress.com/
I dont think Iain you understand the system and how it works. But you will one day if you ever are allowed to win a seat and keep it for long.
ReplyDeleteYou have to be crooked to get to the top in any organization and stay there for any amount of time while being honest about anything important.
Only by having big secrets to keep from the law or the public can the powers that be CONTROL what you do or say.
Did you never watch YES PRIME MINISTER?
Any evidence for the Blair link? Nope - just suspicion... A silly slur, Iain. And one that would get you a writ if this was published by the dead-tree media...
ReplyDelete'In September 1999 he was appointed Director of the Anti-Corruption and Complaints Investigation Department, which became the Directorate of Professional Standards, responsible for discipline and anti-corruption.'
ReplyDeleteSkeletons and cupboards seem to spring to mind here...
Even where they're buried?
Assuming his G&F gaff is near Westminster then to get a 6am flight from Heathrow he would have to be up at 3am. As someone who occasionally has to make 9am starts on the continent and lives in W8 I always fly the afternoon before and stay in a hotel where I am going. It's just not possible with the traffic (up to 2 hours) and check in (1 hour+). It doesnt seem at all suspicious to me. Would be sad if this is seen as some sort of smoking gun. Unless they acually shared a room...
ReplyDeleteActually, it's £4.7 million unaccounted for in expenses or unreconciled on corporate credit cards. Some of it dates back to before April 2006, when the new system was supposed to be introduced. Sorry, but that's a lot of unaccounted expenses and a very slack way of dealing with it as it is that wonderful concept, other people's money.
ReplyDeleteJust after it has been announced that, once again, the EU accounts have been uncertificated on account of there being some £13,000,000,000, unaccounted for I have to say I'm not really very interested in where the petty cash went. When is the mainstream media going to get a grip on this outrage?
ReplyDeleteHi Iain
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Internal Police enquiries cost a fortune drag on for months/years and if they end up at Crown Court juries just don't want to know. They always over egg the pudding and bog down the prosecution with thousands of pointless statements.The officers get found not guilty and then retire.
ReplyDeleteYou criticise a newspaper reporting some "nasty insinuations" made against someone you know and then make one of your own against someone I assume you don't. Even with the get out "I could be completely off beam" this is very shabby behaviour.
ReplyDelete