In a new development in the scandal that has rocked London policing, the Metropolitan Police Federation declared it had ‘no faith’ Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
The body issued a scathing statement in which they blamed the Mayor for forcing Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Dame Cressida Dick (pictured) to resign.
It also said Mr Khan’s public criticism of the force was undermining the public’s trust in it.
Chair of the Federation, Ken Marsh said politicians were trying to use policing and the career of the country’s most senior police leader to deflect from their own failings.
“The atmosphere amongst Metropolitan Police officers is horrendous — it’s rock bottom,” Mr Marsh said.
“Officers in London feel saddened and angry that Commissioner Cressida Dick has been pushed out in the way she has,” he said.
Criticism has been heaped on London’s police force for the way it handled the Sarah Everard murder inquiry, in which a police officer pleaded guilty to the rape and murder of Ms Everard after detaining her while she was walking home near Clapham Common.
The officer originally said he was arresting her for breaching COVID-19 regulations.
Police were also criticised for the heavy-handed way they dealt with people attending the subsequent vigil that was held on Clapham Common.
A police watchdog report that was later released claimed Charing Cross Police Station officers shared racist, misogynist and homophobic messages.
Mr Khan told Dame Cressida earlier this month that he was expecting a blueprint of how she intended to rebuild the Metropolitan Police’s reputation and win back the public’s trust.
When presented with a plan, Mr Khan said he was not happy with it and voiced his lack of confidence in Dame Cressida, who then resigned.
London, 16 February 2022
