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One of the ‘big stories’ from yesterday was the resignation of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair. In his public announcement, Blair made it clear that he had resigned because he didn’t have the confidence of the London Mayor, Boris Johnson.

Later on in the day, Jacqui Smith the Home Secretary on the BBC Question Time programme criticised Boris Johnson for making a “political decision” about Blair and not understanding the correct procedures concerning his (Blair’s), appointment and the circumstances under which he could be removed from office. I had previously thought that she might have something going for her as a politician but clearly, she is just another silly Labour cow.

The Reality

Commissioner of the Met is I believe a “Royal Appointment” because the role is unlike any other in the UK Police Service as it encompasses both London as the Capital City but also has pan UK responsibilities with regard to National Security, the Royal Family etc. Since the adoption of a London Mayor, the role requires a sound working relationship with both the Home Secretary of the day and the London Mayor.

Jacqui Smith’s high dungeon was simply about the fact that Blair had a meeting with Johnson on Wednesday at which Boris made it clear he wanted a change of Leadership at the Met, Blair went away and thought about it and next morning – Thursday, offered his resignation to Smith to whom it was the first she had heard of it. That in a nutshell is why she has made such a fuss though not one notes, any attempt to change the situation.

Later on Thursday evening we had Ken Livingston and Paddick who Boris defeated in the Mayoral Election, both laying into Boris on Newsnight, well that was a surprise – from that pair of losers, I think not !

The Outcome

Blair has gone after three and a half years in the job – it seems longer frankly. Boris Johnson has been very gracious in what he has said about Ian Blair’s track record of achievements, made the point that there is no one incident or thing that he had in mind just, that he feels that a new leadership is required to take the Met forwards.

In all truth though, Blair’s going is long overdue because however good he may or may not be, he got far too close to the Downing Street of Tony Blair and seemed rather disconnected from his man management role at New Scotland Yard. The stories of his lack of personal management skills have been too frequent and too often repeated to be entirely lacking in substance. I suspect that the problem is that in his own mind he became more important than the job and lacked any team building abilities.

Even Tom McNulty of the Government was quite restrained on Newsnight yesterday and the Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne commented that the resignation was “long overdue”. The plain truth is that right across the political spectrum and even Sir Ian Blair himself knew, his 9 lives were gone and his time was up otherwise as he has done before, he would have ‘toughed it out’ but not this time.Boris didn’t sack him, he just told him that he didn’t want him. Smith just had a hissy fit, I guess she’s reached that age and stage.