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Britain's top cop 'forced' down
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-10-03 16:52 LONDON - Ian Blair, Britain's top policeman, has quit his post and blamed on Thursday London Mayor Boris Johnson for "forcing him out."
In a statement, Blair described the job of Metropolitan Police commissioner as "the proudest task of my life" and said he had not wanted to leave until his term was up in 2010. However, he said Boris Johnson had made it clear in a "pleasant but determined" way that he could not work with him. "I'm resigning in the best interests of the people of London and the Metropolitan Police Service," the top policeman said in a statement. "I understand that to serve effectively, the commissioner must have the confidence of both the mayor and the home secretary. Without the mayor's backing, I do not consider that I can continue in the job," he said. Johnson said Blair could be proud of everything he had achieved during his time in the post, but "the time had come for a change at the top." Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she had accepted Ian's decision "with regret", adding that Blair had left London "safer and more confident." |
