• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS
  • Twitter

A very cautious welcome to ‘Commissioner Boris’

November 27, 2009 - Martin Hoscik@MayorWatch

commentAccording to today’s Evening Standard the Tory Shadow Home Secretary has been talking about making Boris the first elected Commissioner of the Met with the scrutiny role of the Metropolitan Police Authority being transferred to the London Assembly.

Grayling promises that: “no reform we introduce will allow any elected politician to interfere in operational policing and we will make absolutely certain that the independence of operational policing is protected in law.”

It’s not a universally popular idea, several Assembly Members have already spoken out against it:

Labour’s Joanne McCartney says: “Of course the police need to be held to account, but this would lead to less accountability, not more. Senior officers are rightly resisting this and I don’t think there is much public appetite to see Boris Johnsons up and down the country running the police. The idea that we go down the American route of commissioners, mayors and politicians all trying to out tough each other with one eye on their next election is deeply worrying.”

Green Party AM has issued the following statement: “The MPA has always struggled to hold the Met to account, now more than ever under a Tory mayor, but that’s because it’s a small number of members dealing with a huge organisation. A single person like a mayor, even with a dedicated team, or using the Assembly as a scrutiny body, simply couldn’t do the job. If the MPA needs reforming, then it should have more members, not fewer.”

Both make fair points and I’d want to see the finer details of Grayling’s policies before endorsing them too enthusiastically but the general idea of London’s Mayor having control over such a vital service is something I’ve been in favour of long before Boris was enjoying the view from City Hall.

There’s no reason why a beefed up, properly resourced Assembly couldn’t hold ‘Commissioner Boris’ to account. To properly fulfil such a role it’d need more cash and staff but, more vitally, will require AMs from all parties to set aside the time wasting personal jibes they currently indulge in long enough to research the issues they’re debating.

A lot of thought would need to go into making such a radical change work but ultimately Londoners deserve to be trusted with responsibility for their own policing and those committed to meaningful devolution for the capital should play their part in making any changes work.

PS: For other takes on the issue pop along to Tory Troll and Dave Hill’s London Blog.

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

RECENT UPDATES

TfL proposes bus and tube cuts and annual fares increases to achieve long-term financial sustainability

London’s entire bus fleet now meets ULEZ emissions standards

New road layout comes into effect at Old Street roundabout

TfL funding enables creation of 2,000 new cycle parking spaces




Popular

1,700 extra Santander Cycles are coming to London’s streets

TfL confirms changes to Older Person’s Freedom Pass and 60+ Oyster card hours

TfL fares to rise in return for £1.6bn Government rescue package

Election for Mayor of London and London Assembly postponed until 2021

FEATURED

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

GOT A STORY?

As the original London news and scrutiny site we've been casting an eye over the capital's public services and politicians since 1999.

 

Many of our top stories started with a tip-off from a reader - if you've got something you'd like us to cover get in touch and we'll do the rest.

Stay In Touch

  • E-mail
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 MayorWatch Publications Limited · MayorWatch is Registered Trademark · All Rights Reserved · Contact Us · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy

MayorWatch Publications Limited · 20-22 Wenlock Road · London N1 7GU · Company Number 6291816

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.