TopCopQuits

London’s Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, has today resigned after three years in the job. Many, including me thought this action is long overdue.

The Commissioner said that London mayor Boris Johnson, who took over as chairman of the police authority on Wednesday, had told him he wanted a "change in leadership". It has been clear since Johnson won his election as Mayor of London that Sir Ian wasn’t going to survive for much longer. Blair’s brand of political correctness and inept police policies, when combined with his bad luck has proved an unsustainable disaster.

Sir Ian added, "without the mayor's backing I do not think I can continue in the job".

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said deputy commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson will take over as acting head of the Met. Ms Smith, herself a well intentioned but gaffe prone politician said Sir Ian could be "proud" of his achievements and praised his national role in policing and tackling terrorism. But she would say that wouldn’t she, as this Blair has always been one of New Labour’s favorite poodles.

She went on to state, "I pay tribute to Sir Ian for the massive reductions in crime that his leadership of the Met has overseen and his continuing efforts to tackle gun, gang and knife crime.”

"His part in leading neighborhood policing across London has led to Londoners being safer and more confident." Although we have to acknowledge that statistically this might appear to be the case I challenge any politician to make this statement out on the streets of London and stand well back for the violent reaction of the public. The numbers are a statistical anomaly, the facts are that serious crime is still going up and Blair and Smith share some of the responsibility for this.

Mr. Johnson, who has repeatedly avoided publicly backing Sir Ian since being elected mayor in May, had called for the commissioner to be directly accountable to City Hall.

Sir Ian, who took over as commissioner in February 2005, said he would be stepping down on 1 December. His tenure was dogged by more controversy than any of his predecessors in living memory.

Presently MPA auditors are examining Scotland Yard contracts given to consultancy firm Impact Plus, run by a friend.

Sir Ian claimed he was "open and straightforward in informing both the MPS [Metropolitan Police Service] and the MPA about my relationship with someone who was subsequently awarded a contract with the MPS".

Sir Ian has also faced, probably misplaced criticism over the racism row involving the Met's most senior Asian officer Tarique Ghaffur.

More serious than any of these are the question about his handling of events surrounding the 2005 death of the innocent Brazilian citizen Jean Charles de Menezes, who was shot dead at Stockwell Underground station in south London after being mistaken for a suicide bomber.

The Met Police were later convicted of health and safety offences over the incident. Blair’s statements at the time were factually incorrect and appear to have been driven by panic.

Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said Sir Ian had taken the "right decision" in standing down.

"It is now clear that they have shown a serious lack of judgment about the leadership of the most important police force in Britain.

"It is vital that a successor is appointed who can restore public confidence."

Blair is the first of London’s top cops to resign since Sir Edward Henry in 1918. It’s a great shame he didn’t go earlier, in fact it’s a pity he ever got the job as he proved inept, unpleasant and disingenuous.