PM has ‘full confidence’ in Scotland Yard chief
THE Prime Minister has given his backing to Metropolitan Police chief Dame Cressida Dick despite the “very distressing” scenes at a vigil in memory of Sarah Everard.
Boris Johnson said the police had a “very difficult job” to do as Scotland Yard continued to face questions over its handling of Saturday’s event.
In ugly scenes, officers clashed with crowds gathered on Clapham Common in south London to remember the 33-year-old marketing executive, who went missing while walking home from a friend’s flat on March 3.
Serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens, 48, has been charged with kidnapping and killing Ms Everard.
Mr Johnson was due to chair a meeting of the Government’s Crime and Justice Taskforce to discuss ways to protect women and girls from violence, with Dame Cressida among the attendees. Ahead of the meeting, the Prime Minister said he still had confidence in the Commissioner.
He told reporters: “Yes, I do, and what she has asked is... that we look at what happened on Saturday night... The police do have a very, very difficult job, but there’s no question that the scenes that we saw were very distressing and so it is right that Tom Winsor, the Inspector of Constabulary, should do a full report into it. I think people have got to have confidence in the police and Tom’s going to look at that.”
Mr Johnson said society and the Government needed to ensure that women’s complaints about violence are properly heard. Asked if the police had been “just enforcing Covid rules” set by the Government, he said: “The reality is that the country is united still in shock and grief about what happened to Sarah Everard and we must do everything we can to find the answers.
“Today in the House of Commons, there is a debate beginning and a vote tomorrow on new measures that the Government is bringing in for tougher sentences for rapists... and new measures to tackle domestic violence. I hope those go through. But I think the fundamental issue that we have to address as a country, and as a society and as a Government, is that... women in particular must feel that when they make serious complaints about violence, about assault, that they are properly heard. We are going to make sure that that happens.”
Calls for Dame Cressida to resign were led by Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, while Women’s Equality Party co-founder Catherine Mayer said her position was “untenable”. Labour’s shadow policing minister Sarah Jones did not back the calls, urging for the focus “to be on Sarah Everard and the increasing problems of violence against women”.
A YouGov poll of 5,168 adults said 47% backed Dame Cressida to remain in post, with 23% calling for her to go.
It comes as landmark legislation comes before the Commons that will give police greater powers to crack down on disruptive protests.
Labour said it will vote against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill as it contains “poorly thought-out measures to impose disproportionate controls on free expression” and did not include anything “meaningful” on protecting women and girls.
Reclaim These Streets had organised Saturday’s vigil before being forced to cancel, following consultation with Scotland Yard, which said the event would be in breach of coronavirus rules. An organiser from Reclaim These Streets said she did not want Dame Cressida to resign, but asked for the police chief to meet with the group. The Commissioner said what had happened to Ms Everard made her “more determined, not less” to lead the Met.
Four people were arrested for public order and coronavirus regulation breaches. A man and two women were reported for a fixed-penalty notice. A fourth, in her teens, arrested on suspicion of a public order offence, was released under police investigation.