Why Ian Blair must go.

Written by Stephen Clarke on Sat 10th Nov 2007

Ian Blair must go. He must go because the police must be held accountable for their actions. Policing in this country must continue to be on the principle of consent. If consent and accountability are to mean anything then when the democratically elected representatives of the people of London call on the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police to go, go he must. The Greater London Assembly has called on Blair to resign or be sacked therefore he should go.

It is no longer about the rights and wrongs of the Stockwell shooting.

That is something which I suspect will be argued about for a long time to come. It is now about whether or not the people of London have the right to decide who is in charge of policing London. That is no small matter policing by consent is a basic principle of any democratic society. He cannot stay simply to spare the home secretary's blushes. The people of London have spoken. They must be heard. Blair must go.