Boris Johnson 'abusing powers of Met Police Authority'

Boris Johnson: Abuse of power?

Boris Johnson came under fire today as he chaired a meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority for the first time.

The Mayor was accused of failing to consult the majority of MPA members, first over his decision to force out Commissioner Sir Ian Blair and then over today's announcement of an inquiry into claims of racism in the Met.

Green Party member Jenny Jones said the Mayor had usurped the power of the authority.

Liberal Democrat Dee Doocey said his decision to oust the commissioner set a worrying precedent. She added: "I do not have a problem with the outcome, I believe he should have gone a long time ago, but it was the manner in which it was done. If you do not consult the MPA on a matter as important as this, then what happens next time."

Mr Johnson told the City Hall meeting that he had consulted a "great many people" in the MPA.

However, a show of hands among members revealed that a majority had been kept in the dark.

There was also criticism over the racism inquiry, which will be led by Cindy Butts, a black member of the MPA. Labour's Len Duvall said the inquiry should be seen to be independent. "If someone from the MPA is leading this process, then I think some people will never be satisfied," he added.

Toby Harris said the review threatened to be the "world's biggest longgrass job". The Mayor agreed the terms of the inquiry should be reviewed.

On the decision to oust Sir Ian, Mr Johnson said: "I think most people in London understand that it was right, given the circumstances, that we should offer someone else the chance to be the new leader of the Met." Sir Ian's role at the meeting was taken by Deputy Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson - whom the Mayor referred to as the Commissioner. Sir Paul gave a report on the Met's performance saying that overall crime was falling, as were gun homicides, but knife killings were up.

The Mayor's inquiry into racism in the Met will examine claims that the force is still beset with "institutional racism" - nearly 10 years after the claim was made by the inquiry into the Stephen Lawrence murder.

Among its aims will be to decide if the recommendations of the 1999 Macpherson report into the case have been implemented. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Black Police Association today urged ethnic minority applicants not to join the Met, because it was racist.

The force is embroiled in a race row which has seen two of its most senior ethnic minority officers, Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur and Commander Al i Dizaei , ef fect ively suspended.

In a Panorama programme on racism in the police tonight, Britain's only black police chief, Kent's Mike Fuller, says ethnic minority officers have to work twice as hard as whites to get on. Mr Fuller, who has two degrees and two postgraduate degrees, said he had felt the need to be overqualified.

The programme also reports that two London Asian police sergeants in the British Transport Police arrived at their station in Stockwell two weeks ago to find a Ku Klux Klan emblem scraped into their lockers. BTP confirmed an investigation has been launched.

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