Resistance is Phutile

Sir Ian's comedy of errors.

Can we really expect anybody to trust Sir Ian Blair? His career has devolved into a catalogue of errors which, in the worst light, indicate a man capable of dishonest and unlawful endeavours to serve his own ends. Even with the benefit of the doubt, Blair seems worringly susceptible to error of judgement. Indeed, the many characters who want Blair out on his ear must be positively laughing at the amount of favours he's done them. That is a shame, given Blair's achievements regarding the recruitment of members of ethnic minority communities. The majority of recruits to the infamously institutionally racist force in London are black or Asian for the first time. It's hard to overlook the importance of that fact. The prospect of equality for all in the eyes of the law is an encouraging one and largely attributable to Sir Ian.

To be honest, I think his comments concerning the Soham murders were, despite the uproar, perfectly reasonable. The media feeding frenzy was the result of people not liking what they saw in the mirror Blair held up to them. Nevertheless, the comments were part of an unsettling trend for the commissioner.

Livingstone has rushed to defend Blair's phone conversation taping activities, pointing out that since 7/7, those in positions of authority can and should be given carte blanche to do anything they want. Given the "confusion" caused by the bombings, he said on yesterday's BBC Radio 4 lunchtime show, it is perfectly understandable that Blair neglected to inform either the IPCC or the Attorney General that he was recording the conversations they were having. Poor old Sir Ian, he simply forgot, what with all the pressures and everything, to tell the Attorney General he was recording him as he discussed the legitimacy of phone tapping!

posted by Phu @ 12:15 pm