Is there no one in the Met with moral fibre?

In reply to Sir Ian Blair's special pleading whinging about the decision to bring a Health & Safety prosecution against the Met for the events leading to the public execution of Jean Charles de Menezes, Richard Barnes, a Tory MP and Deputy Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority had this to say:

"Is there no one within the Met with the moral fibre and sense of personal obligation to recognise that Jean Charles's fate was sealed by systemic failure? The power to exercise ultimate force carries with it the responsibility to ensure all other possible alternatives are exhausted, even in such a fast-moving, fluid situation. Those obligations were not fulfilled at Stockwell, and Jean Charles paid the ultimate price for that failure.

I find it repugnant, and an affront to common decency, that the establishment can get it so wrong and then close ranks to protect its members from accepting and exercising the obligations of office. It is simply not enough to accept the glittering prizes, whilst ignoring the failures. Where is the man of personal stature and integrity amongst them?"

The shooting was followed by various leaks that intended to besmirch Mr Menezes' character. The source of this information is questionable, but it most probably came from those in authority. An innocent man was shot dead, and it was thought appropriate to traduce his character."

That's a pretty fair summary of a totally disgraceful shambles for which no one - and least of all the man in charge - is prespared to accept any responsibility.

Full report in The Guardian

On one level the Met Commissioner ought to be pleased about the prosecution since the matter becomes sub-judice thus delaying publication of the IPCC reports until after the trial. He will therefore be spared full public scrutiny of the gross incompetence that culminated in the shooting for another couple of years. With any luck he'll be gone by then and WE will be spared more of his puke inducing media appearances.