London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Apr 08, 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
UK Denies Visa to Kanye West After Sponsors Withdraw from Wireless Festival
Trump-Era Forest Service Restructuring Leads to Closure of UK Lab Focused on Kentucky Woodland Health
Foreign Students in the UK Describe Harsh Living Conditions and Financial Pressures
Reform UK Proposes Visa Restrictions on Nations Pursuing Reparations Claims
Public Reaction Divides Over UK Decision to Bar Kanye West
Calls Grow for UK to Review US Base Access Following Concerns Over Escalating Rhetoric
UK Indicates It Will Not Permit Use of Its Bases for Potential US Strikes on Iran’s Energy Infrastructure
UK Prime Minister Defends Decision to Bar Kanye West, Questions Festival Booking
UK Accelerates Efforts to Harmonise Medical Technology Rules with United States
Wireless Festival Cancelled After Kanye West Denied Entry to the United Kingdom
Australia’s most decorated living soldier was arrested at Sydney Airport and charged with five counts of war-crime murder for the killing of unarmed Afghan civilians
The CIA’s Secret Technology That Can Find You by Your Heartbeat Successfully Locates Downed Airman
Operation Europe: Trump Deploys Vance to Hungary to Save the EU
King Charles Faces Criticism From Some UK Christians Over Absence of Easter Message
Former UK Defence Secretary Raises Concerns Over Ability to Counter Iran Missile Threat
UK Signals Non-Involvement in Iran Conflict as Trump Reasserts Firm Deterrence Stance
US and UK Strengthen Medical Device Cooperation Following Tariff Removal
Trump Backs Steve Hilton for California Governor, Highlighting Reform Agenda
UK Seeks Closer Ties With Anthropic as AI Policy Divergence Emerges Across Atlantic
Experts Warn of Evolving Extremism After Teens Arrested in UK Ambulance Arson Case
UK Convenes Talks to Safeguard Shipping Through Strait of Hormuz After Conflict Escalation
Trump Highlights Strong Leadership in Critique of UK Stance on Iran
UK Authorities Review Kanye West’s Entry Status Following Festival Backlash
UK Considers Deploying Aircraft Carrier for US Independence Day Celebrations Amid Renewed Transatlantic Focus
United Kingdom Moves to Attract AI Firm Anthropic Amid Tensions with US Defense Officials
RAF Intercepts Iranian Drones in Middle East to Defend Allied Security Interests
Labour Signals Shift on Foie Gras and Fur Restrictions to Advance EU Trade Talks
Seven Arrested Near RAF Base as UK Authorities Respond to Protest Activity
Economic Pressures Mount as Analysts Warn UK Growth Is Being Constrained by Policy Burdens
UK Green Party’s Push for Church-State Separation Sparks Debate Over National Identity
Strategic Island Emerges as Growing Challenge for United States and United Kingdom Defense Planning
Pepsi Pulls Sponsorship from UK Festival Following Backlash Linked to Kanye West
Signs Emerge of Declining Enthusiasm for Social Media in the United Kingdom
Security Alert Raised Ahead of Meghan Markle’s Planned Visit to Australia
UK Food Halls Defy Hospitality Slowdown, Emerging as Bright Spot in Challenging Market
UK Sets Firm Conditions for Military Action, Insisting on Legal Mandate and Clear Strategy
UK Medicines Regulator Launches Probe into Peptide Clinics Over Health Claims
New North Sea Drilling Unlikely to Significantly Cut UK Gas Imports, Analysis Finds
Woman Linked to UK’s First All-Female Terror Plot Faces Deportation
Downed US Aircraft Over Iran Linked to Operations from UK Airfield
Two Men and Teen Detained in UK Following Attack on Jewish Charity Ambulance
UK Police Launch Inquiry After Firearms Left Unattended Outside Mayor’s Residence
Giuffre Family Calls on King Charles to Meet Epstein Survivors During US Visit
Amber Wind Warning Issued as Storm Dave Approaches Parts of the United Kingdom
Prince Harry and Meghan’s Australia Visit Set to Draw Heightened Global Attention
UK Considers Entry Fees for Overseas Visitors at Major Museums Ahead of 2026 Travel Season
UK Prime Minister and Kuwait Crown Prince Coordinate Security Response After Regional Escalation
Calls Grow to Expand Fully Paid Maternity Leave for UK Teachers Amid Workforce Pressures
UK Secures Tariff-Free Access to US Market in Landmark Pharmaceuticals Agreement
Trump Projects Strength in Critique of UK Leadership and Naval Readiness
×