Top Cop Digs In

The UK's top policeman is continuing to hang onto his job, despite continuing pressure of him to resign.

Sir Ian Blair has insisted again that he remains as commissioner after surviving a vote of no confidence by London's police watchdog.

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner faced the vote after sustained criticism of his handling of the shooting of the innocent Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes and its acrimonious aftermath.

He was hauled into an extraordinary meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) after a motion of no confidence was tabled by Conservatives on the committee. Members rejected the motion by 15 votes to seven, with one abstention.

Sir Ian has refused to stand down as head of the Met despite an Old Bailey jury finding that his officers had endangered the public when they killed Mr de Menezes, believing him to be a suicide bomber.

"I am a man of honour, if I believe that what has happened in this case [de Menezes] would have made it appropriate for me to resign as commissioner, I would have gone. I would have offered my resignation, I would have resigned."

Elected members of the London Assembly felt he should have done just that – they passed a vote of no confidence in the Commissioner last month and a second vote against him today would have made his position virtually untenable.

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, would have struggled to maintain her unstinting support if the MPA had passed the motion.

However, the Commissioner has so far received the backing of PM, Gordon Brown and the vociferous support of Ken Livingstone, the London Mayor.

But his critics, led by David Davis, the Shadow Home Secretary, have repeatedly called for his head in the wake of the Stockwell failures.

(BMcC)