This weeks surprise announcement that Mayor Boris Johnson was stepping down from chairing the Metropolitan Police’s watchdog has raised eyebrows and set tails wagging as to the real reason he is backing away from one of the main tenants of his administration.

He told the London Assembly:

“I think in view of the changes that we are going to see in the MPA in view of the
reforms that are underway it would be a good thing if we changed the chair of the MPA”.

Right hand man, Deputy Mayor for Policing, Kit Malthouse will now take that chair.

But why after London posted its lowest ever crime figures is Johnson giving up his seat at the top table of policing?

Fighting crime has been central to his term

During the 2008 election, London was in the grip of a spree of knife murders. Children were killing children on the capitals streets and people looked to the then current Mayor Ken Livingstone for support, reassurance and leadership.

His response of “if it bleeds it leads” with a typical irked snarl was a real watershed moment with Londoners and said that this Mayor did not see it as his job to act on crime, even a specific problem in a specific demographic as this.

Johnson saw this and ran with it. A simple message of extra police officers, more feet on the street, heightened policing presence at transport hub and the usual centre right mantra of sort-of-zero-tolerance - but the quality of life policy, the broken window theory, struck a cord with the electorate and played a large role in his election victory.

Sheriff of London

His spokesperson has denied the Sheriff of London theory.

Central to Conservative policing policy are directly elected Commissioners.

The MPA would be axed and its scrutiny powers handed to the assembly and London's mayor would be directly in charge of the Met chief: responsible for policing strategy and priorities, hiring and firing the commissioner, as well as setting the budget and part of the council tax.

Speaking when still heading up the MPA, Johnson said:

"It does make sense to make some reforms. You have to scrutinise the police in the most democratic way.

There is a bit of an overlap in the roles of the MPA and the London Assembly.We need to refine the system and not have endless duplication. The point is to see what we can do to have the most effective democratic scrutiny."

Mr Grayling has called Johnson the "pathfinder" for the reforms:

"We envisage the Mayor of London being the elected police commissioner," he said. This would strengthen the role of the Mayor.

However, I'm absolutely clear that no reform we introduce will allow any elected politician to interfere in operational policing and we will make absolutely certain that the independence of operational policing is protected in law."

Sir Hugh Orde, head of the chief constables' association, has warned that his chiefs could quit rather than serve under directly-elected commissioners.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson has warned against "creeping politicisation" of the Metropolitan Police. The minister envisions a Gotham City scenario:

"The idea that one of Boris's henchmen can call up the Commissioner of the Met every few hours to tell him how to run the police will fill people with dread."

David Hanson, the Home Office minister, said the move leaves:

“Conservative plans to politicise police forces with elected commissioners in tatters."



Job done?

Johnson said he was stepping down because the job was more or less done.

A divisive figure, Chief Constable Ian Blair was removed quietly in a stunning power play that further solidified the position of London Mayor.

A man who was seen as accident prone, too near to Labour and indicative of the social worker police officer culture was replaced in an even handed manner by a solid hand.

Stability has returned somewhat to Scotland Yard after suffering poisonous race rows, employment tribunals and seemingly dysfunctional hierarchy.

His ‘hands on’ attitude to policing was weakened by his intervention in the Damian Green affair, which brought criticism from all areas, including the new Met Chief Sir Paul Stephenson.

Whilst he has remained quiet about the G20 protests and the abuse of anti-terror and stop and search powers – he has instigated two important inquires that will shape policing in London for the next decade.

An MPA panel looking at the implications of the G20 operation will be reporting soon as are the findings of a race inquiry examining the poor promotion and progress of ethnic minority officers.

The stewardship of the Mayor is what was needed at the time and that time has now passed – is the line currently being touted.

Others however see the job half done and a manifesto pledge broken; he also relinquished the chair of London's waste and recycling board.

He argued that he was merely leaving the administrative details to others now that he had set out the strategic priorities, though speculation is he was he found the job too much.

Manifesto pledge broken

Jenny Jones, who sits on the MPA and on the London assembly as a Green party member, was unforgiving:

"He has now gone back on his word, realising that being both mayor and chair of the MPA is just too much for one person to do properly

It was an ill-thought-out promise and one that showed his lack of experience. The Met are facing difficult times ahead, with budgets being cut in all areas. The chair of the MPA needs to take the time to understand this complex organisation to provide effective leadership.
Boris Johnson has not really been involved from the beginning and perhaps feels it is time to stop pretending."

With just two years left until the next London elections and speculation is rife that he will serve a single term and take up a post in a possible Cameron cabinet.

And with the most unlikely of characters, Boris has made the Tories look competent in governance – the fear from HQ was that if he messed up London the general election would be damaged. Now the winning line is in sight, the blonde dynamo is taking a back seat at City Hall    Announcing his departure from policing, the Mayor said:  

"I think in view of the changes that are coming to the MPA, in view of the reforms that are under way, it would be a good thing if we changed the chair of the MPA, and I am proposing to stand down."

Tony Travers, an expert on London government, told the Evening Standard:

“This does raise an interesting question for a future Conservative government since, as I understand it, the mayor would become the commissioner replacing the MPA, which is an even bigger role than the one he is giving up.

"It is a bit odd if the mayor stands down from that responsibility given the Conservatives' desire to strengthen the political oversight of policing."

The Conservative party has declined to comment.