LBC caller is 'delighted' Cressida Dick has resigned

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On Thursday, Dame Cressida announced she would be stepping down. Her resignation comes a week after the London Mayor said he was “not satisfied” with her response to calls for change following a series of scandals including the police watchdog publishing racist, misogynist and homophobic messages exchanged by Met officers.

It is understood Dame Cressida was called to a meeting with the Mayor of London over her plan to implement major reforms to Scotland Yard.

But Dame Cressida declined to attend and offered her resignation instead.

According to reports, Mr Khan did not inform Home Secretary Priti Patel of his intention to request a meeting with the commissioner.

Now, Home Office sources said Ms Patel was not impressed and thought it was “rude and unprofessional”.

An insider claimed: “We got no notice.

“The Home Secretary found out when the commissioner rang to say she was resigning.

“It is not helpful, but I’m afraid we have a political mayor playing politics with the police.

“Did he even tell the Palace? The commissioner is appointed by the Queen.

“It could be quite destabilising. How does this square with the fact that just last year he was arguing she should be given a three-year contract extension?

“The mayor owes the people of London an explanation.”

Lord Greenhalgh, a Home Office minister who worked with Mr Johnson at City Hall, tweeted: “Cannot believe how badly Mayor Sadiq Khan has managed his relationship with the Metropolitan Police and their Cmr Cressida Dick who has just resigned.

“This Mayor of London has no idea how to lead or to manage. Shockingly bad.”

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Former commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson accused Mr Khan of “political opportunism” and “grandstanding”.

He said: “For Sadiq Khan to go public in the way he did smacked of a politician putting up a smokescreen rather than having an appropriate and sensible conversation in private to lead to a dignified outcome.

“It appeared to be political opportunism and grandstanding by Sadiq Khan.

“I think that is very sad.”

A former colleague to Dame Cressida told the Telegraph: “She has had multiple flesh wounds and strikes but because she is personable, resilient, presents well in the corridors of power and is liked by her frontline officers, she survived.

“There is a myth about Cressida’s popularity within the Met.

“She is not a great communicator within the organisation.

“A lot of people within the Met were fed up with the lack of clarity and direction.”

Harriet Wistrich, director of the Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ) charity, said: “There were far too many stories of officers accused of violence and abuse still in their jobs and of whistle-blowers victimised instead of listened too.

“Cressida Dick’s response to these series of stories has been wholly inadequate and her description of Wayne Couzens as a ‘wrong un’ meaningless next to the mounting evidence of multiple allegations of abuse and policing failures to tackle violence against women and racism.”

Ms Patel will oversee the appointment of a new commissioner and while she has the final decision, the process requires her to consult Mr Khan as Mayor.

Express.co.uk has approached City Hall for a comment

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