Controversy continues over UK’s top police officer’s resignation

of Mayor of London And former police wardens are still at odds over claims that Britain’s highest-ranking police officer was forced out of his job.

with Sir Thomas Windsor Sadik Khan Faced head-to-head in front of the London Parliament Police and Crime Commission on Wednesday, he was questioned about Dame’s departure. Cressida Dick Earlier this year.

Sir Thomas reported that she had been intimidated into leaving, but Mr Khan began telling the commission that the investigation was biased.

Mrs. Cressida resigned on the evening of February 10, 2010, even though she said in a media interview that she had no intention of resigning.

The committee heard that Khan had pressured her to resign all day long by telling her at a previous meeting that “one of us would be replaced.”

In one call, Khan’s chief of staff David Bellamy told Mrs. Cressida that if she resigns in April when her current contract expires, the mayor will publicly highlight all she has accomplished in her job. rice field.

He also suggested that she receive six months’ salary, but no more.

Sir Thomas said this was “part of the pressure being put on the Commissioner to persuade him to resign without invoking statutory process”.

He said that if the mayor had followed the official procedure for seeking the removal of Mrs. Cressida, he should have notified the then-commissioner in writing of the reasons for seeking her removal.

He also said Mr Khan should have written to the police station inspector for his opinion, gave the commissioner a hearing, and sought the approval of the interior secretary, but did nothing of those things. said Sir Thomas.

Khan claims he did more than the law required.

The mayor is also accused of misconduct for allegedly pressuring Mrs. Cressida to fire a police officer who had been allowed to remain on duty after the message scandal.

At a meeting on February 2nd of this year, Mr Khan asked Mrs Cressida to get legal advice on officers based in Charing Cross who shared a very offensive message but still served in the army. urged.

According to Sir Thomas, Mr Khan suggested to Mrs Cressida that he take the same steps that Ed Boles did in the wake of Baby P’s case, and subsequently became head of children’s services at Haringay Council. Fired a certain Sharon Shoesmith.

He said the mayor’s actions “could, and in my view amount to, amount to misconduct”.

Khan claims he advised the commissioner to obtain independent legal advice to see what options were available for dealing with the officer and whether the correct disciplinary decision was made.

In an awkward exchange, the mayor has haunted the Met in recent years, including the murder of Sarah Everard, the arrest and search of British athlete Bianca Williams, the search for teenage Child Q naked at a school, and a misstep regarding an unsolved murder. I have repeatedly mentioned the scandals that are causing it. Daniel Morgan and serial killer Stephen Port.

Sir Thomas said most of these events happened before Mr Khan asked the Home Secretary to give Mrs Cressida a three-year contract extension instead of the two years she was granted in September 2021. rice field.

He told Khan’s committee, “To get rid of these other awful things is frankly beside the point.”

At one point, the chairman of the committee, Susan Hall, asked the mayor, “Are you running the clock?” … I am totally unfit to be mayor. .