How Big is London?

The resignation of Sir Ian Blair as Metropolitan Police Commissioner shows what a multi-polar polity has come into existence over recent years. At one time the support of the Home Secretary would have sufficed to keep the Commissioner in post: now he needs the support of the Mayor of London as well. Westminster politics is no longer the only significant level.

Several if not most reports refer to the Commissioner as “Britain’s top policemen”. Is this just a journalistic puff? Surely the Commissioner has no authority outside his territory in the Metropolis?

Sir Ian Blair’s resignation statement mentions no current responsibilities other than those he has for London. However, both the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister have referred to his national role. It is not very clear to me at least what function the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has in respect of policing outside London.

This is probably a rather crude piece of political manoeuvring: by suggesting the existence of a function extending beyond London’s boundaries they are trying to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the role of the Mayor of London in the Commissioner’s resignation.