If you watched this morning’s Metropolitan Police Authority meeting you’ll have seen the silent figure of acting Deputy Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe sitting alongside acting Commissioner Tim Godwin.
According to several MPA members what you also saw was future Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe sitting alongside his Deputy Commissioner Tim Godwin.
If he really is a contender to succeed Sir Paul Stephenson, Hogan-Howe’s prospects are hardly likely to be harmed by MPA Chair Kit Malthouse’s revelation that his family consider his tenure as head of Merseyside police as the force’s “golden age”.
For those unfamiliar with their perhaps-next Commissioner, Wikipedia summarises his career as follows:
“Before joining Merseyside, Hogan-Howe worked as District Commander of the Doncaster west area, serving with South Yorkshire Police.
“In 1997, he joined Merseyside Police as Assistant Chief Constable of Community Affairs, moving onto area operations in 1999. Hogan-Howe then joined the Metropolitan Police as Assistant Commissioner of Human Resources, in July 2001.
“He was the Chief Constable of Merseyside Police from 2004 to 2009, when he was appointed to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary..”
Perhaps even more important than the endorsement of the Malthouse family, my MPA whisperers say Hogan-Howe has the gravitas many have long wanted in the Met’s top cop.
For the avoidance of any doubt generated by City Hall briefings, the MPA’s website makes clear:
“The appointment will be made by Her Majesty the Queen following a recommendation by the Home Secretary under the Police Act 1996.
“Before making this recommendation the Home Secretary will have regard to any recommendation made to her by the MPA and any representations from the Mayor of London. The successful applicant will be appointed in September 2011 at the latest. The appointment will be for a period of five years.”
