Metropolitan Police Authority Chair appointed at first public meeting

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26 June 2000

Lord Toby Harris was elected Chair by the members of the Metropolitan Police Authority at its first public meeting held today at Westminster Central Hall, London. Richard Barnes and Peter Herbert were elected as the two Deputy Chairs. The Metropolitan Police Authority officially takes over the responsibility as police authority for London (apart from the City) from the Home Secretary on 3 July.

Addressing the meeting after his election, Lord Toby Harris said:

“There are enormous challenges facing the Metropolitan Police. Whilst burglary rates are falling, street crime is rising - there were nearly 140 cases per day during April and May this year, compared to 80 per day during the same period two years ago - an increase of over 70 per cent. Clear up rates are perceived as too low, police priorities are not always what local communities feel they should be in their respective areas and too often we will still hear people saying that the police are nowhere to be seen when they are needed.

“The over-riding task of the new Authority, together with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, must be to make sure that London gets the Police Service that it deserves - a Service that is effective in tackling crime and disorder and winning the confidence and the support of all those who live and work in this wonderful, diverse, vibrant city of ours.

“This will mean, in particular, cutting street crime drastically and reducing drug-related incidents significantly. It will mean making our streets safer and making all of us feel more secure in our homes. Indeed, I believe that this Authority’s success or failure will be judged on whether crime in London is reduced and the Metropolitan Police achieves its stated objective of making London the safest major city in the world.

“If we are to get to grips with the escalating crime figures, we must get the Met up to full strength and that means improving recruitment and retention and raising the morale of London’s police officers and civilian staff, without whom the Met would not properly function.

The Chair welcomed the Home Secretary’s announcement that he had accepted the Police Arbitration Tribunal’s recommendation to increase the additional payments to new recruits and to officers who do not benefit from housing allowance. He said it would make an enormous contribution towards solving the problems of recruitment and retention, but the Authority would monitor progress to ensure that it has the effect expected.

The Chair noted that:

“The Met is already engaged in a major restructuring designed to make the borough based police operational command units the front-line for delivering local police services, working in partnership with local authorities and other agencies. I strongly support this exercise. I also welcome wholeheartedly the priority that the MPS are now giving to increasing trust and confidence in policing amongst minority ethnic communities. The initiatives that are being taken to this end must be pursued with vigour, and the MPA will expect every policeman and woman to sign up to them unreservedly.”

Lord Harris emphasised that tackling crime had to be a partnership between the public and the police and other agencies such as councils. The public had direct knowledge of where crime hot spots were and needed to tell the police, but they needed to have the confidence that what they said would be treated seriously, sensitively and effectively. Lord Harris said he believed that beat officers must be the cornerstone of London’s policing but that such partnerships would only work if the lessons of Stephen Lawrence had been learnt. He said:

“I very much welcome the positive action the Commissioner has been taking in response to the recommendations of the Macpherson report. The Authority views the building up of partnerships between public and the police, such as those developed with the boroughs, local community groups and other agencies under the Crime and Disorder Partnerships, a major step in winning the battle against rising crime.”

The Chair stated that a major task of the new Authority will be to make sure that the Metropolitan Police delivers value for money and is run efficiently. The Met had never been subjected to the same rigorous financial regimes as most other parts of the public service and the Chair emphasised that this would now change. As Best Value authority, the MPA was responsible for securing continuous improvement in the way policing is provided.

The Chair pointed out that the Members of the Authority covered a wide range of age groups, gender, skills, backgrounds and ethnic diversity and that it was independent of the Mayor. He said:

“We represent a new start for the policing of London. We will work with the Metropolitan Police to secure continuous improvements in the service they provide. We will criticize where necessary but in a positive way. I believe the time has come for the people of London to discard the baggage of the past, and work together with the Authority and the police to realise the vision of a London that truly is the safest major city in the world, and one where all the people of London can put their trust and confidence in a police force that fully reflects the community as a whole.”

Speaking at the meeting, Home Secretary, Jack Straw, said it was a very important day in the history of London’s policing. He emphasised that the creation of the MPA did not in any way erode the operational independence of the Commissioner. Wishing the Members every success, the Home Secretary said he was confident that the MPA would be of great value in helping the Metropolitan Police Service to continue its impressive record in policing and winning the fight against crime”

The Authority went on to set up six committees - Finance, Planning and Best Value; Professional Standards and Performance Monitoring; Human Resources; Co-ordination and Urgency; Consultation, Diversity and Outreach; and an Audit Panel. The next public meeting of the Authority will take place on Monday 10 July, at Church House, Great Smith Street, London, at 10am.

Note to editors

The Authority is made up of twenty-three members, twelve drawn from the new Greater London Assembly, four magistrates and seven independent members:

For the biographies of all the members please see below. A full copy of the speech is available from the Press Office.

Biographies

London Assembly Members

Tony Arbour (Conservative, South West)
A senior lecturer at Kingston University Business School, Tony was GLC Councillor for Surbiton between 1983 and 1986 and a Councillor for Hampton Wick since 1994. He is Assistant Chairman of the Richmond-upon-Thames Bench and Deputy Convenor of the Kingston and Richmond Area Health Authority. He is also Leader of the Opposition on Richmond Upon Thames Council.

Richard Barnes (Conservative, Ealing & Hillingdon)
Richard is leader of the Conservative administration London Borough of Hillingdon having achieved a 14.7 per cent swing to the Conservatives in the May 1998 local elections. He is also Vice-Chairman of the Hillingdon Health Authority. He has a particular interest in health equality issues, local government and campaigning to save Harefield Hospital as a centre of excellence. He has a degree in economics from the university, and speaks Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and French and is learning British Sign Language.

John Biggs (Labour, City & East)
A law graduate, John worked in the City for six years before becoming a full-time Councillor and Council Leader in Tower Hamlets. He is Director of a national organisation campaigning on health and part-time Deputy Chairman of a housing regeneration organisation in East London.

Roger Evans (Conservative, Havering & Redbridge)
Roger was a Councillor in the London Borough of Waltham Forest from 1990 and was Leader of the Conservative opposition from 1994 to 1998. Called to the Bar in November 1997, he was employed in advisory role by the Spring Group (1998-2000). He was previously employed by Royal Mail. His interests include swimming, playing badminton and scenic walks in London. Roger is single and in his mid-thirties.

Lynne Featherstone (Liberal Democrat, Londonwide)
Lynne is a director of an electrical company with ten branches across the capital and the former strategic design consultant to the UK’s largest transport consultancy. She has spent most of her professional life working with architects, planners, urban designers, civil engineers and transport consultants. As a strategic design specialist she is also the author of a professional book “Marketing and Communication Techniques for Architects” (Longmans). She is Leader of the Opposition on Haringey Council after winning in the ward with Labour’s largest membership in London.

Nicky Gavron (Labour, Enfield & Haringey)
Nicky has lived in London all her adult life. Alongside bringing up 4 children and working part-time in education, she worked with local communities for 15 years - establishing Jackson’s Lane Community Centre (raising 1.6m for its conversion); successfully opposing widening the Archway Road; and developing a range of Arts and special-needs projects. In 1986 Nicky was elected as a Haringey Councillor in Archway Ward. Since then she has represented local people and Londoners’ interests locally, regionally and nationally. Nicky has a decade’s experience of policy making for London as Labour leader of the London Planning Advisory committee (LPAC) and was its Chair since 1994. LPAC was the only democratic body advising on strategic planning, transport, housing and environmental policy for London, its responsibilities and staff were absorbed into the Greater London Authority. Nationally, Nicky is Vice-Chair of the Planning Committee of the Local Government Association (LGA) and Chair of the National Planning Forum. She is a member of John Prescott’s Commission for Integrated Transport, and an Advisor to the Government’s Urban Task Force.

Toby Harris (Labour, Brent & Harrow)
After leaving Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied Natural Science and Economics, Toby joined the Treasury’s Economics Division where he worked between 1975079. Toby has been a Labour councillor since 1978 and was leader of Haringey Council from 1987 to 1999. He chaired the Association of London Government and was Director of the Association of Community Health Councils from 1987 to 1998. In the early 1990s, he joined the Home Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Race Relations, the Mental Health Taskforce Support Group and chaired the Local Government Anti-Poverty Unit. He was appointed a “working peer” by the Prime Minister in June 1998.

Elizabeth Howlett (Conservative, Merton & Wandsworth)
Elizabeth has been a Councillor on Wandsworth Council since 1986 and a Chief Whip of the majority Conservative group. She was Mayor of Wandsworth from 1988 to 1999 and former Chairman of the Social Services and Education Committees. Elizabeth is a former Chairman on the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, and serves on the Inner London Probation Board and the Foundation for Young Musicians. She is also Patron of the Ystradgynlais Male Voice Choir and a JP. A former international opera singer, Elizabeth has two daughters and enjoys opera, music and theatre.

Darren Johnson (Green, Londonwide)
Darren Johnson joined the Green Party at the age of 20 and has been active in the organisation ever since. He served on the party’s national executive for two years from 1993 to 1995 and organised the party’s campaign for the European elections in 1994. He has contested elections at all levels of government and has been invited by the Mayor to join his cabinet as an adviser on environmental issues. Darren is in his early 30’s and is a graduate of Goldsmiths College, London in Politics and Economics.

Jenny Jones (Green, Londonwide)
Jenny marched with CND as a student in 1968 and worked as a volunteer with Shelter. She joined the Greens in 1988 and quickly became chair of her local party, going on to become chair of the National Executive for three years from 1995 to 1997. As a mature student she qualified as an archaeologist and for many years worked in the Middle East. She has recently been working in London as Financial Controller.

David Lammy (Labour, Londonwide)
A law graduate of the University of London, David became the youngest qualifying barrister in England in 1994. In 1996 he became the first black Briton to attend Harvard Law School, graduating with a Masters degree. A member of the trade union MSF he worked part-time as a volunteer with the legal charity, the Free Representation Unit. Born in Tottenham, David is in his late-twenties.

Graham Tope (Liberal Democrat, Londonwide)
Graham is Leader of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform (ELDR) group on the Committee of the Regions (the “voice” of regional and local government in the EU decision making process) and a Vice-President of the Local Government Association. In 1972, at the age of 29, he became Liberal MP for Sutton & Cheam for two years. Since 1974 he has been a Sutton Councillor and he was Leader of Sutton Borough Council from 1986 to 1999. He has been Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson in the House of Lords and was one of the team that worked on the legislation establishing the GLA. He was Deputy-General Secretary for Voluntary Action Camden from 1975 to 1990. He was awarded the CBE in 1991 and made a Life Peer in 1994.

Independent members

Cindy Butts (Independent member)
Cindy is a House of Commons Researcher for Clive Soley MP, prior to which she was a researcher for the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Melanie Johnson MP. Cindy has a BA in Social Anthropology and Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Following graduation, Cindy had a career in public relations.

Peter Herbert (Independent member)
A lawyer and Chairman of the Society of Black Lawyers. Peter has held a number of public appointments, including being a Legal Panel Member on a number of Mental Health Inquiries, a School Governor and a member of the Lay Visitors Group at Harmondsworth Detention Centre. Mr Herbert has played a major role in a number of international Anti-Racism conferences and personally helped create a system to combat racial violence in the London Borough of Hackney.

Nicholas Long (Independent member)
A Surveyor by profession and a Trustee of the Lambeth Crime Prevention Trust, Nicholas has chaired the Lambeth Community Police Consultative Group and was a Lay Visitor to Police Stations in Lambeth. He is a member of the NACRO Race Issues Advisory Committee. Mr Long has had considerable experience of personnel and financial management as a member of the NACRO Finance Committee - turnover £35m. He Chairs the Operation Trident Lay Advisory Group which supports the police intelligence operation of the same name.

R. David Muir (Independent member)
Is a Development Officer for the London Borough of Greenwich. He graduated with a BA(Hons) in Politics and Government from the Guildhall University in 1982, and subsequently gained a PhD in Political Theology and the Black Churches in Britain from London University. Since graduation, David has lectured in a number of education institutions, including the University of North London and in 1999 was an Associate Trainer for the Metropolitan Police, developing teaching materials for new police recruits.

Angela Slaven (Independent member)
Angela became Chief Executive of DIVERT, a national youth crime prevention organisation, after she graduated from the South Bank University of London with a MSc Public Sector Management in 1999. After leaving school, she gained a CQSW at the West London Institute of Higher Education in 1978, joined the Inner London Probation Service and in 1997 became Director of Operations for the Rainer Foundation with overall responsibility for the development of social welfare services for young people and their families.

Abdal Ullah (Independent member)
Abdal, the youngest of the Members, he is a Resident of Tower Hamlets and Education Officer at Tower Hamlets Parents Centre. Abdal is Chair of Tower Hamlets Youth Parliament and a Member of Black and Ethnic Minority Regeneration Group for Tower Hamlets. He was appointed as a Board Director for Cityside Regeneration Ltd and joint co-ordinator of “Parental Awareness Conference on Drugs” in Tower Hamlets. He was elected a member of Black and Ethnic Minority Regeneration Group for Tower Hamlets. Abdal was awarded “The Outstanding contribution to Youth Politics in Tower Hamlets” in 1999.

Sir John Quinton (Independent member)
Sir John is Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Committee. A Cambridge graduate, Sir John has spent most of his career with Barclays Bank, where he rose to become Group Chairman in 1987. After retiring he was for three years Chairman of George Wimpey PLC. He has served with the then Ministry of Health on secondment, and with the North Thames Regional Health Authority for twelve years. Sir John is a Trustee of several charities and has served in a number of public offices.

Magistrate members

Reshard Auladin (Magistrate member)
A magistrate since 1989, Reshard sits on the Enfield bench in adult, youth and family courts. He is also a member of the Enfield Magistrates Court’s Committee. He has long experience of the health services. He worked in the NHS for many years and he presently runs his own business in the mental health care sector. A graduate of science and education he taught in a comprehensive school for a while in the 1980s. He retains an interest in education and is currently involved in a Muslim educational charity in North London. He has a keen interest in Muslim affairs. Originally from Mauritius, he is married with one teenage son. He likes gardening and cooking.

Cecile Lothian (Magistrate member)
Appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1987 Cecile is a lay magistrate in the youth and family Court, an Elder of Christ Church, East Dulwich, and Lay Chair of the Elders Council. Cecile was Chair of Southwark Area Youth Committee as was elected to Southwark Council in 1990 were she was Chair of Continuing Education, Vice-Chair of Womens Committee and Vice-Chair of Education Committee. Cecile became Mayor of Southwark in 1993, the first Black Women to have been the major of this Borough. Cecile has five children, and so far nine grandchildren. Her interests are cooking and walking and reading and listening to Radio 4 when she has the time.

Richard Sumray (Magistrate member)
Director/Chief Executive of London International Sport, Richard was Business Consultant to Fii Group plc and a Camden Councillor, during which time he chaired the Social Services, Leisure Services and Race and Community Relations Committees. He is Chairman on the Inner Youth and Family Proceedings Courts. Richard is also Vice Chairman of the Inner London Youth Panel of magistrates, Chair of Camden Age Concern and a member of the management committee of Camden Society (for people with learning disabilities). Richard served as a VSO Teacher in Nigeria in the seventies. His interests are the arts, especially music, the third world, health and social care issues, reading and helping to look after his children (two daughters aged 8 and 4).

Rachel Whittaker JP (Magistrate member)
An independent consultant, she was appointed to the Inner London Division in 1995, she has served on the Metropolitan Police Committee since 1995. A sociology graduate from the University of London, she has worked in advertising, marketing and human resources. She spent over twenty years with Reuters, working in both the UK and North America, latterly as Director of Personnel. She has extensive voluntary experience including membership of a local authority, area health authority, governor of primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. (Her interests include travelling, walking, bridge and entertaining).

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