When the Conservative Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority accepted the resignation of Mr Quick and agreed the appointment of Mr Yates to take his place he was efficiently carrying out his duties. There can be no hiatus in the leadership of the anti-terrorism units.
The rage this, and its announcement, induced in Downing Street was barely concealed. A terminally damaged New Labour Home Secretary who should have been dismissed over her corruption in claiming expenses, exposed a carefully prepared propaganda exercise moving the role of the Leader smoothly from Saviour of the financial and economic world last week to our ever-alert Guardian from terrrorist threat this week, to failure. Had the Home Secretary received her oh so merited come uppance in a timely fashion she could have been replaced with a marginally less-tainted politician strong enough to contain the blunder, never mind the loss of control over the resignation and new appointment, and Gordon could have had his New Day as sword and shield of the people.
As it is, he is reduced to blethering from Carlisle (of all places, not your first choice for a press conference):
"Let me first thank all of the police forces that have been involved in the arrest of the suspected terrorists...We have been investigating a major terrorist plot and we have got to act early. Our first concern is always the safety of the public. [no Gordon, your first concern is always self-promotion, ed.] It is right that we took the urgent action that we did over the course of yesterday... I have spoken to Bob Quick this morning and...He has apologised [pity you don't learn from Mr Quick's example, Gordon, ed.]for what went wrong yesterday. I have also spoken to Sir Paul Stephenson, the head of the Metropolitan Police, and said we expect this investigation to move forward."
But too late, the story was all about resignation, and appointments, and who controls the police, and inadequate controls on immigration.
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5 comments:
"Carlisle (of all places,": ooh, behave! Perfectly decent spot, Carlisle.
Oh yes, D, I passed every childhood summer near Brampton, in my aunt's lovely house in Low Row, that had a farm attached and where the farmer was kind enough to put up with my assistance. I can still build a decent dry stone wall - well, decently repair a fallen-down bit.
'You look as if you've been running wild on the Fells' still means looking less than groomed in our family.
Not though, I suspect, the place to do a major press conference on saving us all from harm that had been dished by the greater interest in the who runs the Metroplitan Police question.
He lacks inspiration: in his position I'd have travelled a few miles to the Roman Wall and there banged on about keeping the realm safe from barbarism. That would have looked good on the telly. Not nimble, our Gordon.
They're coming unwrapped. The arrests were probably to distract from the expenses stories, and from the Two Home Secretary. Instead, it's another police mess story, with their favourite Stasi officer falling on his well pensioned sword, and the dysfunctional Home Secretary wrong footed by Boris.
Now, have the plotters been sufficiently guided to be convictable, or will they have to be quietly released?
The announcement by Boris on BBC Radio 4 " Today " and the contempt that this showed for Porn Again Jacqui Tu-Time SSmith will come to be seen as the death knell of this failing administration.
A masterstroke 'Sir' ( hint to Queen ) and I salute you.
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