London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Mar 21, 2026

Met police to be branded ‘institutionally sexist’ in landmark review

Met police to be branded ‘institutionally sexist’ in landmark review

Review of Met will call for leadership shake-up and more scrutiny by Mayor
The Metropolitan Police is set to be branded “institutionally sexist” in a landmark report into the scandal-hit force. Baroness Dame Louise Casey’s review, due to be published on Tuesday, is also set to make similar findings about racism and homophobia in the force, the Standard understands.

She was appointed to compile the report in response to the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by Wayne Couzens, who was a serving officer with Scotland Yard. The report, which comes in the wake of the crimes committed by Couzens, serial rapist David Carrick and other scandals, will also call for major improvements to the Met’s leadership and more rigorous monitoring of the force by Mayor Sadiq Khan.

It is expected to say the Mayor must reset City Hall’s relationship with the force. Mr Khan is set to be told to fix the “historic dysfunctional relationship” between police chiefs and the Mayor’s Office of Crime and Policing.

The force lacks a powerful regulator and MPs have become “frustrated” with the Met over its lack of transparency, with politicians struggling to get answers from senior officers.

The report is also expected to outline how management has failed to learn from “wider criticism” of high-profile cases and continued to have a “defensive culture”. It will be fiercely condemnatory of how Scotland Yard allowed the rot which has infected parts of the force to set in and express dismay about the damage to public confidence.

It comes as the toxic unit where Couzens and Carrick worked is facing the axe as part of an overhaul of disciplinary processes. Baroness Casey is understood to be calling for the effective dismantling of Scotland Yard’s parliamentary and diplomatic protection command.

Other proposed changes include strengthening disciplinary rules to ensure that more officers, including those involved in misogyny, racism or homophobia, can be dismissed for gross misconduct.

The Met is already bracing itself for one of the bleakest days in its history with Deputy Commissioner Dame Lynne Owens warning that the findings will create “raw” emotions while giving the majority of good officers the chance to “reset where needed”.

She pleaded for “calm reflection” over the findings.

The plea is unlikely to dampen the response when Baroness Casey’s damning 300-page report is published on Tuesday.

The finding that the force is “institutionally sexist” would echo the view of Dame Diana Johnson, the chair of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, who said in January that she viewed the Met as institutionally sexist because of its culture and the extent of misogyny in its ranks.

A section in the report on transparency in the Met is expected to point to the killing of unarmed Jermaine Baker in 2015 and the unsolved murder of Daniel Morgan.

Mr Baker was shot dead by a police marksman during a foiled attempt to break out an inmate from a prison van in 2015. A judge ruled the killing was lawful but there were failings at almost every stage of the operation.

Private investigator Mr Morgan, who allegedly had evidence of police corruption, was murdered in a pub car park in Sydenham in 1987.

Former Met Police commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, who was forced out of her job by Mr Khan last year, may have breached standards over the case of the murdered private investigator, the police watchdog found.

Home Office sources on Monday played down suggestions that changes could include breaking up the Met by stripping it of the national counter-terrorism command and transferring it instead to the National Crime Agency.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Meghan Markle’s Possible UK Return Sparks Renewed Attention on Sussex Role
Starmer Convenes Urgent Talks on Cost-of-Living Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
Starmer Convenes Urgent Talks on Cost-of-Living Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
UK Investors Eye Bargain Shares Ahead of ISA Deadline Amid Market Volatility
UK Investors Eye Bargain Shares Ahead of ISA Deadline Amid Market Volatility
Northern Lights Expected Over UK Skies Tonight Amid Strong Solar Activity
UK Condemns Iran Missile Strike and Warns Against Threats to British Personnel
UK Warns of Global Flight Disruptions as Iran Conflict Escalates Under Trump’s Leadership
UK Condemns Iran After Missile Strike Targets Strategic Diego Garcia Base
Deadly Meningitis Outbreak in UK Reinforces Urgency of Vaccination Campaigns
Iran Launches Long-Range Missile Strike on Remote US-UK Base, Signaling Expanded Reach
Iran Launches Long-Range Missile Strike on Remote US-UK Base, Signaling Expanded Reach
UK Rules Out Cyprus Base Role in Joint US Self-Defence Framework
UK Ends Hereditary Peerage Rights in Parliament in Historic Constitutional Reform
Lord Walney Warns of Expanding Iranian Influence Networks Within the United Kingdom
Iranian National Among Two Arrested After Attempt to Access UK Nuclear Submarine Base
Deregulation, Artificial Intelligence, and Fraud Laws Reshape UK Financial Services Landscape
UK Considers Lower Speed Limits to Reduce Fuel Use Amid Escalating Energy Crisis
UK Borrowing Costs Surge to Post-Crisis High as Markets React to Inflation and War Risks
UK Government Prepares Emergency Economic Measures as Iran Conflict Fuels Financial Risks
Meningitis B Outbreak in the UK Raises Urgent Health Warnings as Cases Surge
Iran Issues Stark Warning to Britain Over US Base Access Amid Expanding Conflict
United Kingdom Authorizes US Strikes from British Bases as Iran Threatens Key Shipping Routes
Reform UK Suspends Scottish Candidate Following Financial Misconduct Allegations
Apple issues an unusual warning: this is how your iPhone can be hacked without you doing anything
UK and Nigeria Reach Agreement to Accelerate Return of Irregular Migrants
UK Sets New Aid Priorities Following Significant Budget Reductions
Cyprus President Urges Open Dialogue Over Future of British Sovereign Base Areas
Cyprus President Urges Open Dialogue Over Future of British Sovereign Base Areas
UK Plans 50% Steel Tariffs in Bold Move to Protect Domestic Industry
Iran Conflict Sends Shockwaves Through UK Economy as Energy Costs and Trade Risks Surge
UK Health Officials Warn Kent Meningitis Outbreak Still Active as Cases Continue to Rise
UK Climate Progress Faces Scrutiny Over Reliance on Carbon Accounting Methods
UK Deploys Advisers to United States to Shape Plan for Reopening Strait of Hormuz
Amazon Bets on AI-Driven Alexa Upgrade to Revive UK Smart Speaker Market
UK Abortion Law Changes Spark Strong Response from Church Leaders and Pro-Life Advocates
UK Abortion Law Changes Spark Strong Response from Church Leaders and Pro-Life Advocates
GB News Faces Regulatory Complaints Over On-Air Remarks on ‘Genocide’ Claims
UK Signals Expanded Support for Gulf Allies as Iranian Attacks Intensify Regional Threats
UK VAT Decision Opens Path for Potential Refunds to U.S. Biopharma Firms
UK and Canada Advance ‘Middle Power’ Strategy to Shape Global Influence Beyond Superpowers
Google Explores AI Opt-Out Features in Search to Address UK Regulatory Concerns
Google Explores AI Opt-Out Features in Search to Address UK Regulatory Concerns
UK Fuel Prices Poised to Surge as Global Tensions Drive Oil Market Volatility
UK Fuel Prices Poised to Surge as Global Tensions Drive Oil Market Volatility
UK Holds Back on Hormuz Escort Mission While Continuing Talks with Allies
TrumpRx Pricing Platform Faces Scrutiny as Some Medicines Remain Costlier Than in the UK
UK, Netherlands and Finland Explore Joint Defence Investment Bank to Boost Military Capability
Deadly Meningitis Outbreak in Kent Raises Alarm as Cases Surge and Emergency Response Expands
UK Security Adviser Viewed US-Iran Nuclear Deal as Within Reach Before Sudden Escalation
×