...but Priti refuses to back her three times

DAME Cressida’s future at Scotland Yard was plunged into doubt yesterday after Priti Patel refused three times to publicly back her.

Hours after a former judge urged the Home Secretary to open a criminal inquiry into Operation Midland, Miss Patel was quizzed on live radio about the Met Commissioner’s future.

Asked by LBC host Nick Ferrari if she had confidence in Dame Cressida, Miss Patel said: ‘I’m working with the Commissioner, absolutely, on some of the measures and reforms they have been tasked with in terms of their own standards and performance.’

Mr Ferrari interrupted: ‘I’m going to say you don’t have confidence in the Commissioner?’ Miss Patel replied: ‘No, I work with the Commissioner.’ Mr Ferrari continued: ‘You work with a lot of people, I work with a lot but I don’t have confidence with everyone I work with.’ Miss Patel responded: ‘She [Dame Cressida] has done a lot of great work. She oversees the largest police force in the country.’

Of retired judge Sir Richard Henriques’s open letter calling for an independent investigation into Operation Midland, published in yesterday’s Mail, Miss Patel said: ‘There are still questions. Rightly so, some have been put to me today, actually, very publicly in newspapers. The police are not above the law and there are many questions that still need looking at and [investigating]. I’ve seen the letter this morning and it is absolutely my responsibility to go back and look at some of these questions that are being posed.’

Dame Cressida oversaw the creation in 2014 of Operation Midland, led by former Met deputy assistant commissioner Steve Rodhouse. She has been keen to distance herself from the subsequent shambles.

Following the LBC interview, which appeared to leave a question mark hanging over the Commissioner’s future, a spokesman for Miss Patel said: ‘As the Home Secretary said, she works with Cressida Dick everyday. The Home Secretary has full confidence in her to do her job.’

Downing Street also moved to avoid Dame Cressida being seen as a lame duck. A spokesman said Boris Johnson and Miss Patel have ‘absolute confidence’ in the Met chief.

Of the force’s bungled abuse probe, which saw former home secretary Lord Brittan’s homes raided following his death, a No 10 spokesman said: ‘This was a deeply concerning case and the PM’s thoughts are with Lady Brittan, her late husband and others affected. The Prime Minister has complete confidence in the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, as does the Home Secretary.

‘They are working together to reduce crime and protect the public from the threats posed by serious criminals, terrorism and the coronavirus pandemic. Both the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary have absolute confidence in her as we work together with the police to make our streets safer.’