Rumour: Sir Ian Blair to resign today

Chuck Unsworth

The sooner the better. Couldn't he make it earlier?

There's a great deal to come out yet.

Paul B

Dearly hope its true, without him, together we can work for a safer London

Pat

Blair and now Vaz being investigated. There is a God!

C Powell

About time. Could we have a policeman in charge who believes in catching criminals, please?

X-Plod

The Times is running this, so it must be true!!!
Blair will not be missed. One of the most arrogant and condescending of men and probably the worst Commissioner the Met has had in a darn long time. There'll be some celebrations in Metroland tonight.

David

David Davis for Commissioner! ;)

Alex R

confirmed on the evening standard

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23562960-details/EXCLUSIVE%3A+Met+chief+Sir+Ian+Blair+quits/article.do

Indigene

If I may make a suggestion, it might be an idea to appoint in his stead someone who believes in policing and protecting the taxpayers. Someone with no discernible political beliefs.

The first thing the new Commissioner should do is set height and intelligence standards for recruits and retest everyone. Those who don't measure up can seek alternate careers. Equally, those who don't measure up culturally - as in Islamic police women who refuse to shake hands with the Commissioner on graduation. To me, this is a disqualification for service. Indeed, all immigrants should be retested on their ability to adopt British mores and serve the British people. Then Londoners would know that when a police officer rolls up to answer a call, they were are loyal to British law and mores only. This should clear out about a third of them. The dead weight.

How many of us - perhaps 90 per cent of readers here? - feel they could do an accurate take-off of Ian Blair's resignation speech, even before he gives it?

Paul B

Agee with X-Plod. I know the corridors of NSY from long ago, and whilst there will be no celebrating in the dearly long departed Tank, the boys & girls will be sinking them with a gusto in the Buck & elsewhere. The man was a disgrace to the proud uniform he wore.

Faceless Bureaucrat

Interesting aside on this issue over on Guido -

"After the failed 21-7 tube bombings Ian Blair blurted out on live TV the exact reason why the bombs failed to explode.
It was a lesson learned in Northern Ireland that if an IRA bomb failed then the authorities never ever ever gave out the details why -- for the very good reason that it would be stupid to help the terrorists perfect their bomb-making techniques. Any soldier breaking this silence would have been court-martialled, Ian Blair should have been chucked out then.

Quite...

Tiberius

His resignation will only be something to celebrate if he's replaced with a guy who actually wants to catch criminals.

Austin Barry

Let's hope his replacement is some robust, no-nonsense, two-fisted, tearaway, sixties throwback, DI Jack Regan-type. More likely though it'll be some Guardian-reading, pc, communities outreacher. Do me a favour.

Mike, Brighton

Good riddance. Well done Boris.
It would be good to have a policeman in charge of the police rather than some political placeman.
How about John Yates?

Charlie

The Chief Constable of Essex believes in catching criminals. Or perhaps return to the pre WW2 situation and have a former army officer as Commissioner, preferably with a special forces/intelligence background.

john the baptist

In the absence of John Thaw, I reckon the best alteranative would be Rod Liddle.

Frank P

john the baptist

Rod Liddle? Dunno about that, his ex-wife (via the Daily Mail) have done his legs in today and landed one right in the Niagras. Didn't you see it?
He'd never be able to do the old knees bend, "Evening All" carrying those injuries.