Sir Ian Blair rejects dismissal reports
Thursday, 04 Sep 2008 20:04
Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Ian Blair rejects reports that he is to be removed
Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Ian Blair has rejected reports that plans are being prepared to remove him from his position.
The Times newspaper claimed that government ministers, senior officials and leading police chiefs had secretly discussed arrangements for replacing the commissioner by the end of this year.
Sir Ian has been under considerable pressure lately with assistant commissioner Tarique Ghaffur accusing the Met and the commissioner of racism and discrimination. An inquiry into the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell tube station in 2005 is also due to begun later this month.
In response to the reports, Sir Ian released a statement this morning stating that the article was entirely false.
"The story in today's Times has no basis in fact," he said.
"As both the chair and the chief executive can confirm, no correspondence has passed between us as to any extension - or not - to my term of office. Nor would that be likely to happen until the middle of my last year of office.
"In any event, as far as I know, none of my recent predecessors have applied for an extension and the fact that I have not yet done so therefore provides no foundation for this story.
"For their part, I understand that the Home Office has issued a statement denying any basis of fact for the story," he added.
"Most people are pleased to get a couple of letters published in the Times in their lifetime: to have two leaders written about oneself in a matter of weeks would normally be very flattering.
"However, newspapers do not always get everything right. As Mark Twain said after reading an account of his own death in the New York Journal - 'The report of my death is an exaggeration'. Same here: I have a job to do: I am getting on with it and will continue to do so."
A spokesperson for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) added: "Sir Ian Blair has the support of ACPO. Issues surrounding his fixed term appointment are matters for him, the metropolitan police authority and the Home Office. He and his team need to be given the space to get on with the job of keeping London safe."