MPA backs Sir Ian Blair following defeat of motion of no confidence

60/07
22 November 2007

In an unprecedented public debate at an extraordinary meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority today, a motion of no confidence in the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair was defeated.

Len Duvall, MPA Chair, said:

“Members of the Authority felt it was right and proper to hold this debate in public, upholding our values of openness and transparency.

“Although the MPA has obligations as an employer, members felt that our debate around our confidence in the Commissioner should be in public so that all views were properly aired and understood.

“This motion was put forward following the guilty verdict of the health and safety trial into the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell. The background to this tragedy goes to the very heart of policing. Both the death of Jean Charles and the health and safety trial verdict will continue to have a profound impact on all concerned and on policing for years to come.

“The police are not above the law and we must and we will ensure lessons learned are acted upon and improvements and changes that are necessary are implemented as quickly as possible. Many changes have already taken place since the tragic death of Jean Charles and we are now in a very different place two-and-a-half years on. But we all recognise that there is much still to do.

“This entire issue is about the dignity of loss of life and the dignity of individuals afterwards to right the wrong done on that day.

“Nothing can bring back Jean Charles and requiring the Commissioner to resign would do nothing to take forward the improvements we have identified together with the Commissioner and his senior management team over the past two-and-a-half years.

“The majority of members today agreed with that view. If there were a good reason to support the motion I would have supported it. But there was no evidence that the Met’s progress has been hindered by the ongoing debate around the Commissioner’s position, and we are now determined that we continue to work with this Commissioner to implement our programme of change.

“We cannot ease the conscience of a nation by the removal of one man. I don’t know of any other public official who faces the degree of public scrutiny that Sir Ian Blair does. We now want him to be left alone to get on with his job, unencumbered by hysterical media or political gamesmanship.

“I have always taken my role as chair of the Authority extremely seriously and we will continue to hold the Commissioner rigorously to account.

“The MPA is also calling for the inquest into Jean Charles’ death to be held as soon as possible. Any unnecessary delay should be avoided in order to minimise further distress to the family and all of those involved.”

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