Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Bas Javid has admitted racism is a problem in the country’s largest force (Victoria Jones/PA)
(Picture: PA Wire)Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Bas Javid has admitted that racism is a problem in the force. Javid, brother of Health Secretary Sajid, acknowledged that “people who have racist views and are racist” are among Met staff but promised that “anyone who works for us and demonstrates any type of racism or discrimination behaviour will be removed from the organisation”.
Such action is sadly urgent and necessary. The Independent Office for Police Conduct report into the behaviour at Charing Cross police station last month concluded that Scotland Yard must overhaul its culture of sexism, racism, bullying and homophobia and that this was a force-wide issue.
Javid’s comments came a day after the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents more than 31,000 rank-and-file police officers, declared it had “no faith” in London Mayor Sadiq Khan, following the resignation of Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick.
As effective Police and Crime Commissioner for London, the Mayor has the right to take a view on the Met chief, and if that person has lost his support, they have to go.
What we need now is for the Police Federation and Mayor to work together to confront the serious problems facing the Met. London needs the right commissioner and Londoners deserve to live in a city with the highest standards of policing, free of discrimination. It must be one that reflects our values as a city, grounded in the principle of policing by consent.
Dame of vaccines
Arise, Dame Sarah! The UK honours system occasionally stirs controversy, but there can be few who would begrudge Professor Sarah Gilbert a gong, as she heads to the Palace to receive her damehood for services to science and public health.
More than 2.5 billion doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered in over 170 countries around the world, with the majority going to low and middle-income nations. The jab is credited with saving more than a million lives. Rarely has there been a more worthy recipient.
