Livingstone backs mayor Met role

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Ken Livingstone has defended the right of London's mayor to dismiss the Met Commissioner, while still criticising the manner of Sir Ian Blair's exit.

Mr Livingstone said elected mayors must have the right to hire and fire chief constables and their senior officers.

But he told the BBC that Sir Ian was undermined by the media and his record in office did not justify his removal.

Sir Ian quit as the UK's top policeman after saying he had lost the confidence of London Mayor Boris Johnson.

Mr Johnson has denied he exceeded his authority by asking the Metropolitan Police chief to stand down and also dismissed claims the move was politically driven.

I think it is right the mayor should be much more effectively running the police, taking over the home secretary's role Ken Livingstone

Sir Ian is stepping down at the beginning of December, more than a year before his term of office ends.

Ministers believe Mr Johnson overstepped the mark in forcing Sir Ian out and that such a move must be sanctioned by the Home Office.

But in an interview with the BBC News Channel's Straight Talk programme to broadcast this weekend, Mr Livingstone defended the mayor's right to strip the commissioner of his office.

"I believe that the mayor should be able to appoint and dismiss the chief of police," he said.

"I think it is right the mayor should be much more effectively running the police, taking over the home secretary's role."

Mr Livingstone, who was defeated by Mr Johnson in May, was a strong supporter of Sir Ian during his time in City Hall and again defended his record.

"Now if crime was going up and the clear-up rate by the police was going down, you would have a case saying, well, this man's got to go," he said. "But we have had falling crime each year he's been commissioner."

Referring to negative press coverage of Sir Ian, he added: "I just really worry that we have established the precedent that will remove commissioners of police on the basis of a media campaign."

Mayoral power

Defending the shake-up at the Met, Mr Johnson said it was time for fresh leadership in the service, arguing the Commissioner was facing "too many distractions" to focus on key operational challenges.

The Met is facing allegations of racism from a number of officers, most notably Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur.

Mr Ghaffur, the UK's most senior Asian officer, was suspended this summer after accusing the force's leadership of sidelining him from key duties in favour of white officers - a claim the Met denies.

Mr Johnson has launched an investigation into alleged racism within the Met but Mr Livingstone defended Sir Ian's record on race and diversity, saying he had not been afraid of taking "difficult decisions".

He added that when interviewed for the job of Sir Ian's deputy in 2005, it had become clear that Mr Ghaffur was not the "right man for the job" and had "reached his level of competence".

Watch the full Straight Talk interview with Ken Livingstone on the BBC News channel at 0130, 0430 and 2230 BST on Saturday and 0130 and 2230 BST on Sunday.