Sadiq Khan Rejects Report on Ex-Met Chief Feeling ‘Intimidated’ Into Quitting as ‘Clearly Biased'

The first woman to lead the London Metropolitan Police, Cressida Dick, resigned in February following months of controversies surrounding her tenure, including reports of racism and sexism within the force as well as the brutal killing of Sarah Everard by a Met Police officer in March 2021.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has rejected a report by the former head of the police watchdog Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) that Dame Cressida Dick “felt intimidated” by Khan into quitting as the head of the Metropolitan Police earlier this year.

Khan told reporters on Friday that “Londoners will be able to see that this review [conducted by HMICFRS boss Thomas Winsor] is clearly biased and ignores the facts.”

Referring to Dame Cressida, the London mayor added that “on the former Commissioner’s watch, trust in the police fell to record lows following a litany of terrible scandals.” According to him, “What happened was simple – I lost confidence in the former Commissioner’s ability to make the changes needed and she then chose to stand aside.”

“Londoners elected me to hold the Met Commissioner to account and that’s exactly what I have done. I make absolutely no apology for demanding better for London and for putting the interests of the city I love first,” Khan underscored, pledging that he will “continue working with the new Commissioner to reduce crime and to rebuild trust and confidence in the police.”

Dame Cressida, for her part, responded to Winsor’s findings by saying that she regrets “this report was necessary,” but that she hopes “it will help create a sounder foundation” for her successors.

“Sir Tom has written a highly detailed and forensic account of the circumstances surrounding my departure. He found the mayor did not follow due process, and at times his behavior was oppressive, unreasonable, entirely unacceptable and unfair,” Dick pointed out. She described Winsor’s report as “an opportunity for others to reflect on how City Hall functions and is held to account.”

Winsor's Report

The remarks followed the release of the 116-page report, in which Winsor, in particular, argued that in February, Khan had given Dick "an ultimatum" to attend a meeting where she was supposed to convince him about her plans for the police force, otherwise he would release a statement "making it clear that he no longer had trust and confidence" and would begin the "statutory process" to remove her.

According to the report, “when the commissioner did not attend that meeting, the mayor's chief of staff reiterated the mayor's position and gave her less than one hour to decide what to do.”

Winsor also argued that Dame Cressida was “intimidated by this process into stepping aside,” and that “the commissioner felt that, in the interests of Londoners and the Metropolitan Police, she had to ‘step aside’, as a prelude to her eventual resignation.”

The ex-HMICFRS chief also claimed that hours before Dame Cressida announced her resignation, communications between the mayor's chief of staff and the Met Police head of corporate services were "unjustifiably politically brutal."

Winsor alleged that City Hall had given Dame Cressida 30 minutes to make a decision on whether she would step down or not.

“For any public servant - least of all one so senior and long-serving - to be given under an hour to decide whether to resign or to challenge the mayor's position was entirely unacceptable,” he underlined.

The former HMICFR head insisted that “due process was not followed by the Mayor of London and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime in their taking of actions which led to Dame Cressida Dick stepping aside as Commissioner. She was in effect constructively dismissed by him [Khan].” Winsor claimed that Khan had “failed to respect the dignity of the Commissioner as an individual, and as the holder of high public office.”

Dick, who officially left the Met in April, announced her decision to stand down in February, admitting that she had "no choice" but to resign after Khan lost "confidence" in her.

The move came amid criticism from the London mayor following a series of scandals related to the Met Police. The rows included the kidnap and murder of marketing executive Sarah Everard by London policeman Wayne Couzens and two Metropolitan police officers taking and sharing photos of murdered black sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman “for their own amusement.”