Priti demands 'strong and decisive new leadership' to take over scandal-hit Met

11 February 2022, 11:59 | Updated: 11 February 2022, 12:50

Priti Patel has begun her search for the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, after Cressida Dick's resignation from the role last night.

Writing in the Evening Standard, the Home Secretary said: "I want to reassure Londoners and people across the country of my commitment to selecting the right leader for the largest police force in the UK."

She listed the duties of the Met Commissioner, such as protecting the public, people and streets of London, as well as being a national leader on matters of counter-terrorism.

But she acknowledged that the new commissioner will face "stark" challenges.

"Following a series of appalling incidents and too many historical cases involving serving Met Police officers, it is clear that strong and decisive new leadership will be required to restore public confidence in our largest police force.

"The public in London and across the entire country must once again have confidence in the integrity and professionalism of the police officers who serve them."

Read more: 'I almost cried': Woman arrested at Sarah Everard vigil tells of relief after Met chief quit

Ms Patel said there are institutional issues in the force that must be tackled by Dick's successor.

She is looking for someone who is focused on reducing violence, tackling the abuse of women and girls, and cracking down on drugs and weapons on the streets.

It comes after Met Commissioner Cressida Dick announced her shock resignation last night after losing the confidence of London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

It is understood Mr Khan summoned her for a meeting at 4.30pm after he was unhappy with her plan to reform the Met - but instead of attending, the police boss quit.

Read more: 'Undignified and ill-judged': Former Met Commissioner slams Sadiq for forcing Cressida out

The incident has reportedly driven a rift between Mr Khan and Priti Patel, with the decision not to inform her of the meeting branded "rude and unprofessional" by the Home Secretary.

Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, Sir Paul Stephenson, Commissioner of the Met from 2009-2011, said Dame Cressida Dick had no choice but to quit but criticised the Mayor of London's handling of it.

"I think her position was completely untenable... Once [the Mayor] has publicly made it clear that with a matter of days or weeks his confidence is ebbing and is likely to go, then frankly I don't think she had anywhere else to go," he said.

The Met has acknowledged it has lost the confidence of members of the public following a series of damaging incidents in recent years.

'The person in charge of the Met has to be a white male'

These included the brutal murder of Sarah Everard by serving police officer Wayne Couzens, who performed a fake arrest using his police warrant card and handcuffs, before kidnapping, raping and killing her.

The Met was further criticised for its heavy-handled response to a vigil for Ms Everard, after it moved in and arrested women attending the peaceful gathering.

One of those arrested, Patsy Stevenson, told LBC she "almost cried" when she heard the news of Dick's resignation.

She added: "She [Cressida Dick] was in charge when her police were at that vigil.

"We’ve seen countless things that she's been a part of that are not ok."

In recent weeks it has also emerged officers based at Charing Cross police station had WhatsApp groups in which they made jokes about the Holocaust, domestic violence and raping women.

The decision by Mr Khan has been met with controversy, with ex-police officers both supporting and criticising the way he handled the situation.