David Davis: Met Chief Blair's position "untenable"

About an hour ago we learnt that the Metropolitan Police have been found guilty of endangering the public in pursuing Jean Charles de Menezes.

Sir Ian Blair has just been on TV promising to learn the lessons of the trial and vowing to continue to lead the Met.  That is not enough for Shadow Home Secretary David Davis.

Mr Davis has followed LibDem calls for Blair to go:

"There is something wrong with a process of accountability that, two years on, continues to prevent the publication of the review of the events leading up to 22 July 2005. Health and Safety legislation is an inappopriate mechanism for scrutinising a counter-terrorism operation - and risks a counter-productive impact on policing.  However, the trial has shed light on the serial failures that led to the tragic death of Mr De Menezes. They include failures of organisation, command and operations. The failures were systemic, falling within the clear responsibility of the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. His position is now untenable, in light of these findings and the overriding need to restore public confidence.  We think the jury is right to say Cressida Dick should not be blamed for this failure. Neither, should the frontline officers, because this was a serial failure of organisation, training, tactics and resourcing. Only one person can be held overall accountable for that.”

3pm 2/11/07 update: Letter from Davis to Jacqui Smith...

JEAN CHARLES DE MENEZES – GUILTY VERDICT

Yesterday the Metropolitan Police Force commanded by Commissioner Sir Ian Blair was convicted of criminal breach of duties for the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes.

Sir Ian Blair responded by saying that he would not resign because the ‘case thus provides no evidence at all of systematic failure by the Metropolitan Police Service and I therefore intend to continue to lead the Met’.

In fact, the trial judge, Mr Justice Henriques, noted a series of serious failures, including the failure to deploy the firearms team ‘as a matter of urgency’ for which ‘no explanation has been forthcoming’. He regretted the failure to make a positive identification of Mr de Menezes, noting the ‘serious failure of accurate communication which has not been explained’. He also referred to ‘the failure to have a firearms team in place and thus the failure to stop Mr de Menezes before he boarded public transport’ and ‘the failure of the control room to adequately receive or have communicated to them broadcasts from the surveillance team’. He concluded:

‘This was a corporate failing with a number of failures contributing to the ultimate tragedy.’ (emphasis added)

Ken Livingston said on the Today program this morning:

‘The system did fail.  I can’t say to you for certain but I am pretty certain that if we had police radios that worked underground, Jean Charles de Menezes … good chance he would be alive today.’ (emphasis added)

He went on to blame under-funding of the police for the failure of the system.

Sir Ian Blair himself publicly stated on the morning of 7 July 2005 that the Met had ‘set the gold standard in counter-terrorism’ (Today Program, BBC, 7 July 2005). This clearly indicates that Sir Ian believed that the organisation, procedures and systems in place were as rigorous, robust and effective as they possibly could be. However, the criminal trial illustrated failings of preparation, organisation, resourcing, equipment, command, control and communication that directly conflict with the Commissioner’s judgment.

Mr Justice Henriques spoke for many of us when he expressed his hope that the further necessary lessons would be learned. However, in dealing with national security, the public expect the police to exercise foresight - not just hindsight - in designing our strategy and securing our capability to respond to the terrorist threat we now face.   

I regret to say that in view of the systemic failures that led to the death of Mr de Menezes, the public can have little confidence that Sir Ian Blair is the right person to ensure those vital lessons are learnt.

In your response, you said that Sir Ian had your ‘full confidence and our thanks and support’. I would ask you to reconsider that judgment in the interests of public safety and confidence.

The trial shed light on serial, systemic errors that the judge described as a ‘corporate failing’. We now need the right leadership, at every level, in order to restore public confidence. The judge, opposition parties and the mayor of London have acknowledged the systemic failure for which only the Commissioner can bear responsibility. I put it to you in the strongest terms that the most important and immediate action that the Home Secretary can and should take, in these circumstances, is to replace Sir Ian Blair with a Commissioner who can command the force’s confidence, restore the public‘s trust and protect the nation’s security.

Comments

[Priyen]

There's something vaguely farcical about a trial for 'endangering the public' when dealing with the shooting of an innocent man 7 times in the face.

[Alan Douglas]

For anyone called Blair, clinging to office is by definition not UNtenable ....

Alan Douglas

[Deborah]

How can he even contemplate staying? Has the man no shame?

[Les]

A shocking situation when a brutal killing relies on Health and Safety for some form of justice.

Why not prosecute the Yorkshire Ripper for leaving bodies around the the place

He would then be known as the Yorkshire Fly-tipper.

[Moral minority]

Is Boris Johnson doing any work as the Conservative Mayoral candidate? There has been little of sign that he is working hard to beat Livingstone.

However, Boris manages to find time to write a trite piece on the US Presidential elections in today's Telegraph but he gets paid for that!

If Boris can't be bothered to campaign, he should resign and we will have to look for an alternative. There is no opposition to Red Ken at a time when the government is losing support.

Pathetic!

[Paul Oakley]

Just heard Blair give his post-verdict statement. He's still talking about the "alleged" failures. No, Ian, they're not "alleged" any more, they're now proven. The man has learned nothing.

[Comstock]

The first sentance of this doesn't make much sense.

[Graeme Archer]

Sack him, sack him; hound this dreadful man from office. Livingstone is his no.1 defender, of course.

[Alex R]

Why are you crediting the Lib Dems as being first. We set the debate, not them.

[Alex Swanson]

It's genuinely frightening that even senior policemen in this case really seem not to understand that they did anything wrong, never mind what.

It's ludicrous that this should be dealt with by imposing a fine that will simply be met out of the public purse. Never mind resignations, people should be in jail.

[David Lindsay]

COMMENT OVERWRITTEN BY THE EDITOR.

[patrick]

Sir Iain Blair. Appointed by Labour, supported by Labour and endorsed by that paragon of honesty and integrity, David Blunkett. If he had a shred of decency and honour he would resign and remove his stain from a Service that has been diluted by his politically correct interference and incompetence. But, with the track record of this Government as his guiding light, he will cling to his job and, once the dust has settled, re-submit his £25000 bonus application.

[Editor]

I credited the LibDems for being first because they were first, Alex R.

[Alan S]

Pretty poor that the LibDems were first. The notoriously lazy David Davis couldn't as usual get his arse in gear. Perhaps he had to wait until Liberty told him what the Tory line should be.

[aristeides]

Ian Blair has long been a disgrace to his office. He will have to be drummed out, of course, because he has no sense of shame. Everyone can sleep a little less safely tonight knowing he is still in charge.

[Deputy Editor]

I'm no fan of Blair but from what I've seen of this case I can't see how he can be directly blamed for this at all. It was a tragic series of events in extreme circumstances that no obvious person can be the scape goat for.

[bluepatriot]

Appropriate that you have screen captured Sir Ian with his tongue stuck out at all of us.

[Joe James Broughton]

I don't think we can dismiss responsibility for those who actually did this - shooting a man 7 times.

It is about who was in overall charge - and what led to this dreadful series of events - but it could be a joint responsbility [covering those on the ground] aswell.

[Iain]

Ian Blair is now going to regret he played such a political game over 90 day detention.

[Comstock]

I agree with Dep Ed. I don't think blaming Ian Blair is helpful. What needs to be asked (along with the many other questions that have been asked) is 'could he have been taken alive with something like Tasar?'

[John Leonard]

Dep Ed/ Comstock:

As it was this terrible tragedy resulted in the death of an innocent man.

If it had been caused by a Private Security Company would you want the CEO charged with with Corporate Manslaughter?

If the individual had been a suicide bomber and had set his bomb off on the Tube train. Would you say the same ? In fact would you be calling for the Home Secretary's (Blunkett as was) head at the time.

Whichever way you look at it Blair is culpable and should pay.

Alternatively, wait until we have a Conservative Government and elected Police Chief's and then the London Electorate can get rid of him!

Sack the man now!

[Alistair Watson]

Blair & Blair, both confused about competence and work. Neither learned by “doing”, only talked the talk. It’s an outrage that anyone in Blair’s position has lessons to learn, he should have known all there was to know about doing the job at least three years before he got it. If he did not he should not have been promoted. Birds of a feather?

[Joe James Broughton]

Some (but not all) of the comments here are dangerous nonsense.

I rather doubt the whole thing should be blamed on Sir Ian Blair, and there are people who want him out for other reasons - and that can be debated elsewhere.

I don't know the full facts, but lets follow some basic logic.

This must have been incompetently handled on the ground. It appears they had opportunities to question Mr de Menezes, and also weren't vigilant enough watching the block of flats.

It was left too late, and panicked.

This is a joint responsbility - it would be wrong to blame it entirely on the person at the top or the bottom, because it doesn't address the real problem.

A bit of objectivity please.

[Matthew]

"Pretty poor that the LibDems were first. The notoriously lazy David Davis couldn't as usual get his arse in gear. Perhaps he had to wait until Liberty told him what the Tory line should be."

The notoriously lazy David Davis? Have you ever actually met the man? Or seen him in a gym? The man's energy and drive is astounding. Since he has single-handedly carried our flag for the last year I think we can forgive him a short delay.

[Annabelle Thomson]

Blair is an extremely able and competent Chief of Police and his tenure has seen a dramatic fall in crime in London. Just remember no officer has been implicated and lessons will be learned but Blair is the best man for the job and we should not be playing politics over this.

[Alex Swanson]

"Blair is the best man for the job"

God help us if this is true

"and we should not be playing politics over this."

What part of AN INNOCENT MAN WAS SHOT DEAD do you not understand? Objecting to this is "playing politics"?!?

I'll tell you this: as a legal firearms owner myself, if I or anyone at my shooting club behaved in such a reckless and irresponsible fashion, and occasioned death as a result, we would be sent to jail. And quite right too.

[Iain]

Annabelle Thomson a odd notion of competence, for Ian Blair seems to have had his foot in his mouth most of the his time in office, apart from that he has also played a very political game, and perhaps if had spent less time politicking and more time getting on with ensuring the structures of the Met were sound, who knows may be this tragedy could have been avoided.

[Graham D'Amiral]

I think Sir Ian Blair must go and go quickly. The police failed to protect the public from risk that was the verdict the jury reached a charge Sir Ian pleaded not guilty to. He simply has to take responsibility for the catastrophic failings of the Metropolitan Police that resulted in a totally innocent man being shot dead by the Police.

[Bexie]

Knowing how the slime work, they probably had press releases ready to email/ fax round the press rooms for any eventuality and and were poised to press the green button as soon as the result was announced. Actually I look forward to the day when they send out the wrong one. Should be most entertaining.

On this piece of work; blair. He should have gone before the shooting if only for the political interference in the Met, the result of which some areas of the city are essentially no go areas. I am hoping that our esteemed man in Tottenham comments on this as well, he is very much on the front line of the breakdown of law and order in Greater London.

On Boris I shall post in the mayoral thread not here.

[Warren Ellison]

How is it possible to trust the police to protect me? This is not the first occasion when the police in this country have "accidentally" shot to death an innocent member of the public. it is also worthy of note that I have been unable to find a successful prosecution of the police following a death in custody in this country.

In relation to Ian Blair, he insists that he did nothing wrong and therefor will not go. I do not believe that he could have been appointed to his position without an ounce or two of political nouse. He must be aware that he is the figurehead for the organisation and therefor, when the organisation is found to have significant systemic failures which result in the death of a human being he should go. At the very least he is the top of the management chain of command and so is ultimately responsible for the system failure.

The facts are that no single person has been charged in relation to this shooting, that an organisation whose primary responsibility is the safety of the public deliberately killed someone and that the head of that organisation will not resign. I do not feel safe and unfortunately I do not trust the police.

[anonymous]

Davis' first big mistake in my opinion.
I'm a big fan of his but I'm pretty shocked that he is going after Blair over this. This had nothing to do with the man. Blair had to lock down 6 million people after 7/7, with inadequate resources. The firearms teams were obviously being pulled left right and centre and probably hadn't had any sleep.
What is Davis doing kicking Blair over this? it is not right. I say that though I dislike Blair.
This could be a problem for us. The sun are broadly speaking against Davis on this , as are the working class.

[Jake]

Blair's position is indefensible . He should resign . Or be dismissed . Thats pretty obvious .

Which begs the question as to just what hold he has over Brown -and Blair- which causes them to keep him on?

Taped conversations ? There was a minor scandal over him doing this a year or so ago .

[Iain]

"Which begs the question as to just what hold he has over Brown -and Blair- which causes them to keep him on? "

Well there has been the cash for peerages, or perhaps Labour now have their man in the Met, whose position is wholly dependent on Labour's political patronage, and who owes some big favours to them.

With Brown pitching to a raise the amount of time of detention before charge, we can expect Ian Blair to be running around Westminster supporting his masters position.

[Dontmakemelaugh]

Blair has been, unfortunately, saddled with a name that will, historically, be reviled by future generations because of his namesake's subservience to the EU and lack of control of our borders leading to social problems that could have been avoided.

PC (politically correct) Blair is the most dedicated follower of that genre ever to be appointed as a chief constable. I am sure that many of those under him have no time for him whatsoever. However, what I find most peculiar is that the person in charge of the control room at the relevant time, a female, Commander Dick, is exonerated, whilst Blair, who was not in the control room and was probably reading the Guardian at breakfast over his organic toast and Fair Trade coffee, was held totally to blame for the chaos and death of an innocent man. Commander Dick appears to bear a charmed life.
That said, the sooner Blair emulates the other Blair and drops out of circulation the better.

[Londoner]

I live pretty near Stockwell and around here David Davis's line would be welcomed. It's not a coincidence that our Labour MP, Kate Hoey, has taken the same line. She has her finger pretty close on the local pulse. I sometimes wonder whether those (in the suburbs observing from afar?) who are so confident that the police have been properly led in London recently actually have any contact with the arrogance and rudeness that now appears to be the Met's leitmotif, from the top downwards.

Although the lethal incompetence of this incident is of a totally different order from the routine behaviour of which I complain (and I admit I haven't followed all the details of the apparent 19 blunders that day), in a way it's all of a piece: much too little regard for the people they are actually supposed to be policing.

I have heard Sir Ian Blair speaking and the character he displayed at that "Chatham House" terms event, amounting almost to petulence at any slightly critical question, in itself made me deeply uneasy about his position in the role. When you consider that he has built his whole career on constant ducking and diving in and out of Home Office "staff" jobs, no doubt working closely with Ministers, it's not surprising that the main reason he seems to be still in office is because he's the Labour Party's copper with alpha plus personal office politics skills. This must also explain why Livingstone is supporting him so fulsomely which I really find very surprising in such an astute operator.

BTW, it is this sort of post, of honest and well-founded opinion, which is the perfect example of why one wants to be anonymous on here. In the present climate, who would want to be a private citizen in London who is a known strong critic of the Met?

On a side issue, I do share the disappointment so far with Boris since his selection, on which I was a strong supporter. It's now 3 or 4 weeks since the end of the Conference at which his selection was announced and we haven't heard a dicky bird out of him. I just hope a great deal of paddling is going on beneath the water so that he will soon burst upon us with an energised and engaged campaign. I really hope he doesn't think he can just do it in the last six weeks like a Parliamentary candidate in a safe seat.

[Traditional Tory]

Blair is an extremely able and competent Chief of Police

Does the person who wrote this live in the real world?

Blair is an obnoxious and incompetent mediocrity who has got to his present position purely because he is able and willing to serve the PC agenda of his political masters.

A politicised placeman, in other words.

The sooner this feeble creature is hounded from the office he disgraces the better. His replacement needs to be a genuine copper like the much-missed Lord Stevens

[Mash - Haringey Tory]

As a member of the Conservative party myself, I proudly support the commissioner and will encourage him to follow through on his strategy to make London the safest major city in the world. It is a complete generalisation to state that he has somehow lost the confidence of the public or his own staff, unless there strong evidence to suggest this is the case, it is better to provide evidence than the make sweeping generalisations!

I am sure as he maintains his position as Commissioner; he will help to provide the highest quality of policing to Londoners and ensure we all remain safe. As Len Duvall affirmed,” The case was brought against the Metropolitan Police Service, not against the Commissioner personally or any other officer." It is absurd to then blame the Commissioner for the mistakes at Stockwell.

Those of us whom reside in London want more police patrolling and tackling all forms of criminality, whether it is anti-social behaviour or other yobbish behaviour. We want to ensure that we feel secure in our own homes and community and finally that we can feel confident to approach the police if we become victims of crime. The Met under Sir Ian contributed to making London safer and building a sense of trust in the London. We saw the introduction of the Safer Neighbourhoods, which has positively worked in communities across London by speaking with members of that particular local community. Under Sir Ian, we saw the introduction of PCSOs ensuring there is some kind of policing presence. We cannot ignore the fact that Safer Neighbourhoods, which comprises of a dedicated team of officers and police staff who will patrol every neighbourhood, has not help to make some difference to making our streets safer.

All Londoners want to help defeat all forms of extremism and remove the threat of terrorism. I commend the Metropolitan Police Service for the several attacks they have successfully prevented and secured the conviction of a number of radical militants, including Abu Hamza and other preachers. However, the police will have to do more to encourage people from the very many diverse communities which make up the racial mosaic of London, to join the police and contribute to ensuring that we can gain the confidence of the all the communities they serve.

It is appalling that certain members of the MPA would want to participate in a "no confidence vote" against the Commissioner in order to remove him. It would certainly be appalling if the Commissioner was removed. He has a great deal to offer the Met and London as a whole. We should recognise that.

David Davis, the Shadow Home Secretary, has called on Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, to “restore public confidence” by sacking the commissioner. In a letter to Ms Smith, he said: “I regret to say that in view of the systemic failures that led to the death of Mr de Menezes, the public can have little confidence that Sir Ian Blair is the right person to ensure those vital lessons are learnt.

I disagree strongly with David Davis. The Commissioner has made an enormous contribution to London and his many successful achievements as Commissioner must be taken into consideration. Furthermore, I am sure we all acknowledge the terrible events regarding the death of Brazilian plumber Mr de Menezes who was mistakenly killed at Stockwell Underground Station. Despite this appalling mistake, we cannot claim to have lost confidence in Sir Ian. I certainly recognise that due to the Commissioner being the head of the largest employer in London, he has to bear responsibility for this mistake. However, this has not changed my perception of him as Commissioner and wish him luck in following through his policing strategy. I agree with Ken Livingstone when he asserts so eloquently, "I wouldn’t put the irresponsible politicians attacking the police commissioner within a million miles of running the kind of anti-terror operations London has had to deal.”

Thanks

[Traditional Tory]

Mash - Haringey Tory - As a member of the Conservative party myself, I proudly support the commissioner

If you're such a proud supporter of this bungling socialist apology for a policeman maybe you'd like to tell us who you are.

I don't suppose for one moment that you are a Tory at all. Indeed you've spent so long preparing this pitiful apology maybe you ARE 'Sir' Ian Blair.

As Len Duvall affirmed,” The case was brought against the Metropolitan Police Service, not against the Commissioner personally or any other officer."

The Marxist Socialist Len Duvall didn't 'affirm' anything. He stated his fatuous opinion.

In this country we don't bring criminal charges against abstract entities because you can't punish abstract entities. The Metropolitan Police consists of individuals who must be held responsible for their actions.

Blair isn't the only person responsible for this murderous blunder but he should be the first to go, and good riddance. Three cheers for David Davis. He speaks for the people.

I agree with Ken Livingstone when he asserts so eloquently...

I think that says all we need to know about you Mr Troll.

[Moral minority]

Still no comment from Boris on a key London issue, not even on his website which has not been updated in ages! Why is he doing no campaigning? He can find time to write nonsense supporting the Clintons for the Telegraph.

[Mash]

Traditional Tory, as I do not intend to involve myself in a slanging match with you. You clearly hold views in which you are entitled to hold, and I hold views which I am entitled to hold. However, that makes you no better of a Tory than, for instance, myself who is a Tory too. I am very proud to be a member of the party and will not have my credibility questioned by you.

"If you're such a proud supporter of this bungling socialist apology for a policeman maybe you'd like to tell us who you are."

Sure, I am a member of the Conservative party and actively assist the party in promoting its image and policies to the wider community and society. I engage with people in healthy discussions about the need for a Tory Government.

It is absurd to suggest Sir Ian is leaning toward any political association or socialist viewpoint. Sir Ian Blair was not appointed based upon his political affiliation or his political views. Every day officers of the Metropolitan Police put their duties above their political, religious or ideological views. The MPS has a long history of policing difficult demonstrations, marches and events, no matter what the personal view of the officers involved might be. Furthermore, although officers are able to hold personal views, they are not allowed to join any political parties and therefore it is an assumption to claim he is a socialist. Unless you can produce any evidence, I would disregard this argument as completely false and misleading.

The central aim of the Metropolitan Police, regardless of who the Commissioner is, is to work together with partners and the public, in order to improve and deliver a first class police service for all of London’s diverse communities.

Len Duvall, the Labour member of the Greater London Assembly and Chair of the Metropolitan Police Service did affirm publicly that this was a case brought against the Metropolitan Police as an organisation. This was not a matter of criminal charges. The Metropolitan Police was being held for breaching Health and Safety laws. They were found guilty. However, the organisation’s techniques and way of operation needs to be questioned, not the Commissioner as an individual. The Commissioner did not pull the trigger at Stockwell station and nor did he actively participate in the operation. I therefore think it is slightly inappropriate to claim criminal charges should be brought against him and additionally he be fired. This is absurd. The officers involved should be held responsible for participating in this particular anti-terrorism operation on the day, however, that being said, you must recognise the amount of pressure any officer in those circumstances would be under. As politically active people, we should appreciate the difficulties faced by officers working for Special Branch and other Anti-Terrorism Units in some of the most difficult circumstances. It is clear; you do not appreciate at all and are clearly in a 'complete sense denial of the problems faced by our splendid officers in their day to day operations as officers'.

Please stop using personal insults. I prefer you do not call me a Troll but engage in a healthy discussion with me.

[Traditional Tory]

Well Mash I must say you do protest too much to be taken seriously as the Conservative you claim to be.

For once we have an issue on which virtually ALL Tories (except possibly one) are ranged against this bungling specimen of Political Correctness, a placeman who holds his high office purely because he is the mouthpiece of this Socialist Government.

We recall also his disgusting disparagement of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. He should have been sacked for that alone.

Furthermore, The Daily Mail has learned of increasing concern among senior police officers about Blair's drinking over the past 12 months.

He is said to have slurred his speech or been unsteady on his feet at a number of social events, including one at Buckingham Palace.

Sources said he also appeared inebriated six months ago at the Jewish Community Security Trust's annual dinner in London, where he sat on the top table with then home secretary John Reid

The man must go! I fervently hope that the press will hound him into richly deserved obscurity.

Please stop using personal insults. I prefer you do not call me a Troll but engage in a healthy discussion with me.

I have worse epithets than Troll for anybody who praises the unspeakable Marxist Livingstone.

[Mash - Haringey Tory]

"Well Mash I must say you do protest too much to be taken seriously as the Conservative you claim to be."

I'll ignore that point.

"For once we have an issue on which virtually ALL Tories (except possibly one) are ranged against this bungling specimen of Political Correctness, a placeman who holds his high office purely because he is the mouthpiece of this Socialist Government."

I did not know you know every single Tory in the country and their preference in regards to this issue. I think you are making another sweeping generalisation.

"Furthermore, The Daily Mail has learned of increasing concern among senior police officers about Blair's drinking over the past 12 months."

The articles about Sir Ian Blair are not fact. Unless you believe every word of the media, I suggest you find out the true facts. Even Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephen clarified in his statement to the media that: "The article appears to be based on ill-founded comment and speculation, some of it from people who are clearly not privy to the true facts. I do not intend to respond to every point but there are a number of key issues that I cannot allow to go uncorrected."

"He is said to have slurred his speech or been unsteady on his feet at a number of social events, including one at Buckingham Palace."

The Daily Mail article insists that a senior officer in the Met Police reported to the MPA about Sir Ian's drinking habit. Which senior officer? What exactly did he say? Why was this never put on record?

In actual fact, the newspapers and blogs are speculating alot about Sir Ian Blair rather than finding out the true facts.

Paul Stephenson, Deputy Commissioner, noted in his statement outside New Scotland Yard: "The Safer Neighbourhoods policing programme is a flagship that the MPS, fully supported by the Metropolitan Police Authority and the Mayor, has been rolled out under Sir Ian's leadership. To claim we have 'quarrelled' about what is undoubtedly one of the Met's biggest successes in recent years is simply not true. The fact is that under Sir Ian's commissionership every neighbourhood has a dedicated local policing team and crime is at a ten year low."

Sources said he also appeared inebriated six months ago at the Jewish Community Security Trust's annual dinner in London, where he sat on the top table with then home secretary John Reid

What sources said? Who are these sources and imaginary people that are making these claims, because their names never seem to be attributed to their assertions? Why not?

The man must go! I fervently hope that the press will hound him into richly deserved obscurity.

I truly hope Sir Ian Blair will continue to make a concerted effort to defeat the people of violence, whether domestic violence or the gun culture emerging in so many of our communities. And that the Metropolitan Police do their utmost to ensure Londoners feel safe from those who would carry out terrorist acts.

"I have worse epithets than Troll for anybody who praises the unspeakable Marxist Livingstone."

I did not praise him. Get your facts correct again. What is the definition of praise and what is the definition for agreeing? When you agree with someone's view, you are not praising that person.

Thanks

[Traditional Tory]

Well Mash, I see your allegedly 'proud' support for Ian B-Liar remains firmly hidden under a bushel. Why are you so reluctant to append your name to this proud stand?

Sadly, it is difficult to argue with a 'Conservative' who refers to a two-legged Marxist as a 'Chair' and freely trots out such standard PC phrases as:

The central aim of the Metropolitan Police...is to work together with partners and the public, in order to improve and deliver a first class police service for all of London’s diverse communities.

You sound like an 'organisation man' Mash. The only question is...which organisation?

I tend to take the old-fashioned view that if it quacks like a duck it probably is a duck.

[Mash]

You seem to level all these accusations and unable to back up your claims with evidence and you still refuse to disclose who you are Mr Traditional Tory.

"Well Mash, I see your allegedly 'proud' support for Ian B-Liar remains firmly hidden under a bushel. Why are you so reluctant to append your name to this proud stand?"

I have disclosed my name. My name is Mash. I am a member of the Conservative party. What is your name, or is your name Traditional Tory?

"Sadly, it is difficult to argue with a 'Conservative' who refers to a two-legged Marxist as a 'Chair' and freely trots out such standard PC phrases as:"

"The central aim of the Metropolitan Police...is to work together with partners and the public, in order to improve and deliver a first class police service for all of London’s diverse communities."

Maybe because that is the purpose for the police. To work to improve the safety of all communities and prevent crime.

"You sound like an 'organisation man' Mash. The only question is...which organisation?"

The Conservative Party organisation, matey.

"I tend to take the old-fashioned view that if it quacks like a duck it probably is a duck."

I tend to take this approach, if you have nothing useful to say, don't say nothing at all hahahah!

[Traditional Tory]

I have disclosed my name. My name is Mash

ROFLMAO! Don't tell me. Your first name is Sausage.

And of course you can look my name up in the book under 'T'

[Mash]

What a childish fool!

Grow up

[Malcolm Dunn]

I am quite suprised to see so many rush to defend Sir Ian Blair. He has a lot of form for gaffes,he has poor personal relationships with both junior and several senior officers in the Met but most of all his behaviour during this episode was truly lamentable.His lack of knowledge of what was going on in his own force was beyond belief. Sir Ian Blair should not resign he should be sacked.

[Mark Andrew]

No one seems to ask ' what if there had been a terrorist with a bomb, suicide of other, on a tube train that day, and the police had done nothing ' !

They may make mistakes as in this case, but it is great that we have anti-terrorist police units and counter terrorist services in Britain, WE ARE UNDER THREAT !

[Mash]

COMMENT OVERWRITTEN BY THE EDITOR.

[Traditional Tory]

After yesterday's vote of censure and today's damning report, can anybody now seriously argue that Ian Blair should remain in office one moment longer?

It's good to see that Conservative representatives have been doing their duty over the past few days. Now we need one final push to get rid of this incompetent Socialist placeman.

[Drusilla]

I am no fan of Sir Ian Blair, nor do I think he is much of an asset to the Met.

Having said that, though, I wish the Conservatives hadn't called for him to step down over this case.

Why not? Because what terrorists seek to do is to put themselves, and their ability to do harm, at the centre of public discourse. They want to make a difference. This isn't just a matter of killing, maiming or frightening, either. It's an eternal shame to Spanish democracy that the voters there allowed a terrorist outrage to sway the course of their general election, just as it's an eternal shame to the Liberal Democrats that they stood a candidate in Ian Gow's constituency after his tragic and pointless death. In both cases, terrorists, through their actions, made something happen - which is what they were trying to do.

We shouldn't let them get away with this, and if hanging on for a while longer to a discredited head of the Metropolitan police - while at the same time acting on the lessons of this truly distressing case - is the cost, it's probably worth paying. The police, after all, aren't the real enemy here, as much as some commentators seem to think they are. The real enemy is terrorism itself. So perhaps we ought to focus on that instead, recalling as we do so the immense bravery and skill, often very much behind the scenes, of the men and women who work so hard to protect this country.