London's Mayor Livingstone on Met Police chief

Dear Ken Livingstone,

I read on BBC website:

The police chief received strong support from London's mayor Ken Livingstone.

"I obviously cannot comment on leaked reports but it is quite clear to me that no-one has done more to build the good community relations which are essential to effective policing than Sir Ian Blair.

"All of our polls show rising confidence in Sir Ian Blair's neighbourhood policing strategy and he continues to have my full confidence."

I have also read a press release by your Office “Campaign against the Commissioner is the real problem”. You state:

Everyone was full of admiration for the way the Met responded to the challenge of July 7th, and no one could be anything other than deeply impressed with the skill and speed with which the police carried out their investigation. The world saw how well the police and emergency services responded to July 7th not just immediately but in the days and weeks that followed.

I live in London and take the bus and tube’s trains every day. I have much respect for my Mayor and I have appreciated many times your work and your political positions.

Your comments on Sir Ian Blair left me with much sadness. It is not true that Londoners have much confidence for their Met Police chief.

I can’t understand how you still have “full confidence” after what happened last year to Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell tube station and recently during a raid on a house in Forest Gate, east London.

It’s also surprising that you can claim “no-one has done more to build the good community relations which are essential to effective policing than Sir Ian Blair”.

This is not the Mayor I thought London could be very proud of. I am very disappointed.

Thank you for your time.

Kind regards,
Gabriele Zamparini