Heavy criticisms of the Conservative Party’s policing plan, the conversation that led to Sir Ian Blair’s resignation and why Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman left his post, are all made public in Sir Ian Blair’s memoirs published this week.
Policing Controversy is the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner’s tell-all tale of what he encountered during his policing career.
In the book, Sir Ian criticises the Conservative Party’s plans for policing in England and Wales, calling them “ill thought out and historically ignorant”.
In particular, he criticises proposals for elected officials to replace police authorities. The concept should “never see the light of day”, Sir Ian said.
He also regards plans for officials to set budgets and be in control of selecting and firing chief constables as “seriously flawed”, believing it would encourage populism in policing.
The “obvious dangers” of the Tory proposals, Sir Ian writes, is that elected officials would make senior officers more compliant and less competent in an effort to satisfy the demands of officials.
His fear is that policing is becoming too political and he recommends a royal commission to find a way to cut costs.
Sir Ian also writes negatively about the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and the way it handled its investigation into the Jean Charles de Menezes shooting.
He said the IPCC’s investigation incurred “ridiculous delays” and was of “variable quality”.
Sir Ian also believes the IPCC wanted to damage his reputation to assert credibility as an independent agency.
He referred to the IPCC as a slow “toothless tiger” with a vendetta against him.  
In the book, Sir Ian concedes that his force handled the news that Mr de Menezes was not a terrorist suspect “catastrophically”, but said the IPCC had done no better.
Behind closed doors
The book details the conversation between Sir Ian and Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, which led to his resignation.
“Boris suggested that such a change (in leadership) would be best ‘for the Met, for London and, frankly, Ian, for you’.
“I eventually said: ‘This is very interesting but you don’t have the power to do this, Boris.’ He said: ‘No, but on Monday, I will be asked if I have confidence in you and I will say no. There will then be a vote of confidence and this one you will lose, Ian’,” the book reads.
Earlier this year, a book written by former Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman was stopped from going on sale by a court injunction.
In Sir Ian’s book he refers to Mr Hayman as his “protégé”, but adds that after he took on the role of head of counter terrorism “something went wrong” and Mr Hayman began spending more time with the press.
“It was a list of questions from Channel 4 about the ‘unusually high’ amount of communication between him and [an] IPCC staff member and about the amount of the expenditure on ACPO offices”, that led to Mr Hayman’s resignation, Sir Ian writes.
Policing Controversy, published by Profile books, went on sale last Sunday, November 1.