David Blunkett says Tory Mayor Candidate Susan Hall is 'not worthy' to run London's police

David Blunkett has spoken out against Tory London Mayor Candidate Susan Hall, saying she is “not worthy” to run the capital’s police force.

The former Labour Home Secretary said Ms Hall had “refused to accept” the conclusions of the Casey Review which found the Met Police to be institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic.

Ms Hall has suggested police conduct against women was limited to a few ‘bad’uns and wrong’uns’, which could be dealt with behind closed doors. She made the remarks to Tory supporters at an event in January, during which she was challenged by a member of the audience over her approach to the Met.

She replied: “There have been some disgraceful episodes, you’re quite right. And they are now rooting out the bad ’uns, if you like. There’s 250 that are on suspension, not allowed to work and there’s about 1,000 that are being watched. Totally not good enough … Having said that, if you’re running a business, if you want things to go well with your staff, you support them completely in front of other people.

“If they’re doing something wrong, you take them into your office, you close the door, and you have the conversation and that’s exactly what we should be doing with the police.”

Writing for the Sunday Mirror, Lord Blunkett said: “For many years, the Conservatives have claimed to be the party of law and order. Yet their track record on policing, crime and police reform tells a very different story. It’s clear the Conservative candidate for Mayor would fail London just as the Tories have failed the country over the past 14 years.”

Lord Blunkett said he also worried that Ms Hall demonstrated “a lack of gravitas and her inability to reach out and represent all Londoners rather than a faction on the right of the Conservative party.”

Susan Hall would not push through vital police reform

By Lord Blunkett

Former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett

On 2 May, along with the local elections, Police and Crime commissioner and combined authority mayoral elections across the country, Londoners will go to the polls to make their choice for Mayor.

The individual who also has the responsibility for holding the Metropolitan Police to account.

As a former Home Secretary, I know what a complex and challenging job it is to oversee the police – not only in supporting them to tackle crime, but in holding them to account and driving much-needed reform. Being Mayor of London and the Police and Crime Commissioner is such an important job – it requires a serious politician with the experience to meet the challenge.

Given the critical importance of who is elected to lead our capital city, I feel compelled to speak out now because I believe the Conservative candidate for Mayor is not worthy to hold this vital post.

Firstly, Susan Hall not only refuses to acknowledge the damage that national government cuts have had on policing in London, but she supported the cuts herself. Baroness Casey’s landmark review of the Met Police, published just over a year ago, found that austerity, the flagship Tory economic policy, had ‘disfigured’ the force.

Sadiq Khan as Mayor has filled the financial gaps as much as possible from City Hall. This includes doubling the annual investment in policing. But Susan Hall, on the Greater London Authority, has voted against this extra funding at every opportunity.

London needs a Mayor who will ensure the Met gets the funding it needs, not someone who supports austerity and now has spending plans that are, at best, dependent on Truss-style economics and borrowing and, at worst, entirely uncosted.

When I was Home Secretary, the government I was a part of took the approach of being both tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime. This proved very effective, and Sadiq Khan is rightly taking the same approach in London. But the Conservative candidate simply dismisses the need to focus on tackling the complex societal influences of crime, like poverty, inequality and a lack of opportunities for young people.

London deserves better than having someone as Mayor who would simply ignore a vital part of the solution – crime prevention and supporting young people.

It’s also clear Susan Hall would not push through the vital police reform that’s urgently needed within the Met. She has refused to accept the conclusions of Baroness Casey’s review, which found the Met to be institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic. She voiced support for the outgoing Met Commissioner, even after it became clear Cressida Dick was unwilling to accept the depth of the crisis facing the Met. And she has suggested that police misconduct against women was limited to a few ‘bad’uns’ and wrong’uns’, which could be dealt with behind closed doors.

For many years, the Conservatives have claimed to be the party of law and order. Yet their track record on policing, crime and police reform tells a very different story. It’s clear the Conservative candidate for Mayor would fail London just as the Tories have failed the country over the past 14 years.

Sadiq Khan’s record as Police and Crime Commissioner has been one of unprecedented financial investment in policing and crime prevention – stepping up when the government has let London down. This includes putting 1,300 more police officers on the streets and investing in youth work, creating positive opportunities for over half a million young Londoners and setting up London’s first Violence Reduction Unit focusing on prevention.

And, with the new Commissioner, he has also set the Met on a path of far–reaching reform.

What also worries me about the Conservative candidate for Mayor is the number of times she has tweeted or retweeted the most inappropriate opinions, demonstrating a lack of gravitas and her inability to reach out and represent all Londoners rather than a faction on the right of the Conservative party.

When comparing the track records of the two main candidates and their suitability to oversee the Met at this historic time, there is no competition. The choice Londoners face is stark – and I urge them to make the right one.