John Biggs at Progressive London:
The unique, serious and unprecedented nature of the mess Johnson has got himself in was revealed in Parliament this week. Asked if, in the history of the forty-four police authorities outside London, he could name a single instance when an authority chair had contacted a close personal, political and professional friend after they had been bailed as a potential criminal suspect, the Minister for Justice and former Home Secretary [Jack Straw] said he could think of none.
Asked what he thought the reaction would have been had he contacted someone who was part of an on-going police inquiry to discuss their case, the Minister said it would have constituted misconduct, almost certainly compromised the police investigation and would have led to calls for his resignation from all sides of the House.
Agreed, even if with the slippery Justice Jack. And you can't blame Labour for exploiting the Boris dimension of "Greengate" or hoping the standards committees of the MPA and GLA knock the fairy off his Christmas tree. But there's a bigger issue here: the complete muddle that is Met accountability. We know where Boris stands on that and for all we know London's voters might be in sympathy. Is Labour content with the status quo?
