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

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS
  • Twitter

How Bernard Hogan-Howe spends some of his 200 working days a year

June 25, 2012 - Martin Hoscik@MayorWatch

Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe
Last week’s claims that Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe was too busy to appear before the Assembly seem to support my past suggestion (2mins 15 seconds) that London has police scrutiny by consent.

There has been a lot of criticism of Boris’s policing deputy Stephen Greenhalgh, but I remain convinced that Hogan-Howe deserves more criticism than he’s had so far over his no-show.

The ‘too busy’ excuse heard by Assembly Members raises questions about exactly what Londoners should expect their Commissioner to be doing with his 200 – according to Greenhalgh – working days a year.

Someone in Scotland Yard apparently thinks spending them attending conferences and giving speeches to policy think tanks is more worthwhile than answering questions from London’s elected questioners.

Here – via a very quick Google search – are just some of the things BHH is doing with his limited time in the coming months:

2nd Cyber Security and Resilience Conference

5th International Evidence Based Policing Conference

5 Essex Court Annual Police Law Conference

Retail Crime and Loss Prevention Conference

In previous months he’s found time to give a speech to Policy Exchange and to speak at the London Policy Conference.

Perhaps the Assembly should ask how many such events he attends each month, especially those months he’s too busy to help them with their enquiries.

Of course those around the Commissioner – perhaps he himself – would say these appearances are a valuable chance for him to set out his position on major issues of the day.

There are those of us who equally believe the same is true of his appearances before a panel with the ability to challenge unsatisfactory answers and to follow-up at future meetings the promises and commitments he makes.

While London waits for his diary to free up, perhaps the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime could pay for the Assembly to visit these important events so they can question the Commissioner on behalf of those who pay his wages?

  • 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

852 new homes to be built in Acton by Transport for London

HGV operators in London urged to apply for a Direct Vision Standard permit

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




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.