Cressida Dick may be gone but will her replacement be even worse? The under-fire Metropolitan police commissioner quit the job on Thursday after five years in the role, meaning that three of the last four Met bosses have now been forced out in disgrace. Dick’s departure has prompted an immediate search for her successor. Unfortunately, one of the very reasons for her survival at the top for so long, was a lack of a viable alternative, with many top cops preferring quieter pastures than London or opting for greater riches in the private security sector.
Perhaps that dearth of talent can be shown in one of the early favourites for the role of Dick’s replacement. Met Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu has featured in much of the commentary around the vacancy, having spent the entirety of his 30-year-long policing career in the Met. Unfortunately, while Britain’s top Asian officer no doubt has many qualities, he has demonstrated a somewhat alarming disdain for the Fourth Estate throughout his time in office.
As head of Operations Weeting, Elveden and Tuleta, Basu oversaw three inquiries into phone hacking, computer hacking and alleged payments to police officers by newspapers.
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