Home secretary will ensure 'overhaul' of Met vetting process following controversial High Court ruling, Phillipson says

11 February 2025, 19:14

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper will "make sure" vetting of Metropolitan Police officers is "overhauled", Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said.

It was confirmed on Tuesday that Britain's biggest police force is set to challenge a High Court ruling that it cannot sack officers by removing their vetting clearance.

The ruling has been described as a "test case" that officials say will have major implications for the sacking of police officers accused of misconduct.

Asked by Andrew Marr on LBC for her personal opinion on the ruling, Ms Phillipson, who also serves as women's minister, said: "I think it under my view, and that of the Government overall, is that it underlines the need to take action in this area."

She added: "It underlines the importance of making sure we press ahead as fast as we can around the changes we need to make on vetting."

Asked by Mr Marr if the ruling made her worried for the safety of women in London, Ms Phillipson added: "It is precisely for that reason that the Home Secretary will make sure that vetting is overhauled, so we can be completely confident that police officers serving the public are fit and proper people to be carrying out those duties."

The case was brought by Sergeant Lino Di Maria, after he was deemed unfit to serve because of sexual assault allegations - which he denies.

He has not been charged and has challenged his dismissal as unlawful.

The head of the force Mark Rowley says it leaves the force in a "hopeless position".

'Absolutely absurd'

"We now have no mechanism to rid the Met of officers who are not fit to hold vetting.

"We now have no mechanism to rid the Met of officers who were not fit to hold vetting - those who cannot be trusted to work with women, or those who cannot be trusted to enter the homes of vulnerable people.

He added it was "absolutely absurd" the force cannot sack them.

He added: "This would not be the case in other sectors where staff have nothing like the powers comparable to police officers."

More than 300 officers and staff are either in the process of or have already had their vetting removed as part of an operation started to review historical complaints after the crimes committed by Wayne Couzens and David Carrick while they were serving PCs.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says it has significant implications for the work the Met is doing to clean up the force.

In a statement, he said: "This decision has significant implications for the work the Met is now doing to clean up the force, raise standards and rid the police of all those unfit to serve.

"I have long been clear that there can be no hiding place for those who abuse their position of trust and authority within the police.

"Working alongside the Met Commissioner, I want no let-up in the vital work being carried out to raise standards and rebuild public confidence in the Met.

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"No-one who has failed vetting should continue to serve in the force and we will work closely with the Commissioner, the Home Office and partners to assess the implications of this ruling."

Over the past two years, police leaders have repeatedly said, “it’s too easy to become a police officer and too difficult to get rid of them,” and last month, Sir Mark explained to LBC that there is a lack of clarity in the law around how to dismiss those who have questionable allegations against them.

He told Nick Ferrari: “I have raised this from the day I started as Commissioner and have been promised by home secretaries throughout the last government that they would change the regulations and they haven’t.

“That means we’ve been taking these actions using existing regulations which we think are justified but are less clear and more confusing than they might be.”