Mr Hogan-Howe had already been seconded to the force to serve as acting Deputy Commissioner alongside acting Commissioner Tim Godwin.
Appointment of the Met Commissioner is made by Her Majesty the Queen following a recommendation by the Home Secretary.
Before making her recommendation the Home Secretary must have “regard” for any recommendation made by the MPA and representations from the Mayor of London.
Announcing the appointment, the Home Secretary said: “As you would expect for such a prestigious position, we had an exceptional field of candidates, but Bernard Hogan-Howe impressed us all with his vision for the Metropolitan Police, his commitment to cutting crime and the important work he has done for the public.”
Speaking outside Scotland Yard, the new Commissioner said it was “a great honour” to be appointed and promised to deliver a police service “the public are proud of”.
He also paid tribute to Mr Godwin who he said “has done such outstanding work as the Acting Commissioner during some very testing times for the Met.”
Audio: Theresa May and Boris Johnson announce appointment of Bernard Hogan-Howe as new Met Commissioner
Hogan-Howe beat three other candidates, including Godwin, to the five-year, £260,000 a year appointment. The other two candidates were Strathclyde Chief Constable Stephen House and ACPO President Sir Hugh Orde.
The position of Commissioner became vacant after Sir Paul Stephenson resigned amid criticism of the Met’s handling of the phone hacking case.
In July we reported that insiders had tipped him for the top post.
The appointment makes Hogan-Howe the third Met Commissioner in three years. Shortly coming to office Mayor or London Boris Johnson forced the resignation of Stephenson’s predecessor Sir Ian Blair.
Hogan-Howe is a former Chief Constable of Merseyside Police. Before joining Merseyside he worked as District Commander of the Doncaster west area, serving with South Yorkshire Police.
In 2001 he joined the Metropolitan Police as Assistant Commissioner of Human Resources.
Speaking in July MPA Chair Kit Malthouse’s revealed his family consider Hogan-Howe’s leadership of Merseyside Police as the force’s “golden age”.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “Public confidence is paramount for any police force and Bernard Hogan-Howe has the impressive track record to restore confidence and crack down on violent crime and disorder.
“Over recent weeks London has faced immense policing challenges and I truly believe that Bernard Hogan-Howe has the sound expertise to handle critical issues and keep our streets safe”
