The Mail on Sunday's claim that Thames Valley police chief Sara Thornton has "entered the race" to succeed Sir Ian Blair is a bit thin, judging by its story alone. But, of course, the MoS may know something it can't tell us. And that certainly appears to be the case with the Standard's crime correspondent Justin Davenport's naming of Jane Stichbury as a contender. There have also been reports that Julie Spence, the Cambridgeshire Chief Constable fancies the job, making three female objects of Met boss speculation so far.
Why such media interest in the possibility of a woman succeeding Sir Ian Blair? Good reasons include all the women mentioned having relevant qualifications, perhaps especially Thornton who spent 15 years at the Met and is described as an expert in "terrorism, intelligence gathering and neighbourhood policing." Another, though, might be the use by Kit Malthouse of such immaculately gender-inclusive language when speaking of Ian Blair on Newsnight last month as a "person" who wasn't "the best man or woman" for the Met job.
Surely one of Boris's right hand men isn't afflicted by the terrible sickness of "political correctness" that others at City Hall get in such a rage about? Was he, perhaps, indadvertently revealing that his preferred candidate to succeed Sir Ian is female? I am assured that neither is the case. However, I can reveal that as well as founding a classical music online community, Malthouse's wife Juliana Farha has a degree in gender studies. Bloody liberals.
