London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 21, 2026

Metropolitan Police has real problems, Sadiq Khan says

Metropolitan Police has real problems, Sadiq Khan says

Sadiq Khan has described the Metropolitan Police as a force facing "real challenges" and "real problems".

London's Labour mayor told Sophie Raworth on BBC One's Sunday Morning that evidence of "systemic sexism, racism, homophobia, discrimination, misogyny" had emerged in recent months.

While he "recognised the dedicated, decent, brave officers" on the force he said its new commissioner would need to work at restoring trust and confidence.

The role has yet to be filled.

Stephen House became acting commissioner when Dame Cressida Dick quit in February after Mr Khan said he had lost confidence in her leadership.

Her departure followed a series of scandals, including the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving policeman and her handling of racist and homophobic messages shared by a group of officers at Charing Cross police station.

Dame Cressida Dick resigned after Sadiq Khan criticised her handling of racist, misogynist and homophobic messages shared by a group of officers


Mr Khan said: "One of the reasons why i lost confidence in the previous commissioner was my lack of confidence in her plan to address the two big issues.

"Addressing the systemic racism, sexism, homophobia, misogyny, but also the trust and confidence required from our public.

"That's one of the things that they will be checking the new commissioner for."

When asked if the Met Police was a "failing force", Mr Khan said: "We're losing trust and confidence, so if that's the criteria of measurement, you could say so.

"But actually, in relation to crime going down... we're making huge progress.

"The police have made really good progress in the last six years in reducing those crimes but I can't escape the fact that too many people on our city haven't got the confidence they should have in our police service."

Last year, the Met announced an independent review of its culture and standards would be led by Baroness Casey of Blackstock.

The force said the review would examine its vetting, recruitment and training procedures, as well as looking into cases of sexual misconduct and sexual abuse allegations where those accused remain in the Met.

"This significant piece of work is part of a range of measures that aim to help restore the trust of Londoners in the aftermath of the horrific murder of Sarah Everard by a Metropolitan Police Officer and other cases that have undermined trust," the force said at the time.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Twenty-Nine US States Take Meta to Trial Over Alleged Child Addiction on Instagram and Facebook
Former Scottish National Party Executive Peter Murrell Jailed for Five Years Over £400,000 Embezzlement
Moderna and Merck's Personalized Cancer Vaccine Succeeds in Historic Late-Stage Melanoma Trial
Prince Harry and Meghan to Move Back to Britain With Their Children
England and Wales Have Fewer Than 1,800 Prison Places Left for Men
Royal Navy to Accelerate DragonFire Laser Deployment Against Growing Drone Threat
Northern Ireland Approves Five Hundred Million Pound Belfast Harbour Expansion
Great British Railways Takes Full Control of Avanti West Coast as Rail Nationalisation Reaches Final Stage
UK AI Safety Institute Calls for Mandatory Security Audits of Advanced AI Models
Scotland Secures Three Billion Pounds for Floating Offshore Wind Hub in Aberdeen
Government Overrides Local Councils to Approve Green Belt Housing Across Southern England
UK and EU Move Toward Mutual Recognition of Food Standards to Ease Cross-Channel Trade
Government Plans Multibillion-Pound Private Healthcare Expansion to Cut NHS Surgical Backlogs
Bank of England Signals Faster Rate Cuts as Inflation Falls Below the Two Percent Target
Suspected People Smuggler Arrested After Investigation Identified Him
Children's Doctors Warn That Vaping Can Lead Young People to Smoking
Hundreds of Thousands of Students Receive GCSE and Vocational Results Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Here Is What Can Never Happen in Your Country: Taiwan Is Giving Money to All Its People Because It Collected Too Much Tax
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9% as Energy Bills Jump
UK Issues New Conduct Guide for Asylum Seekers on Consent and Respect
Moderna Shares Surge After Positive Personalized Skin Cancer Trial Results
UK Markets Watch US National Debt Surpass Forty Trillion Dollars
UK Broadcasters Urge Government to Invest in Digital Participation and Broadband
CVC Capital Partners and Standard Life Launch Two Billion Pound Pension Risk Transfer Venture
UK Private Sector Productivity Growth Accelerates in Second Quarter
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Condemns Israeli E1 Settlement Tender
UK Watchdog Investigates Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and RED Driving School Over Hidden Fees
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Plan Move to Private Home Outside London
UK Retail Sentiment Improves as Summer Spending Boosts Consumer Confidence
UK Aid Cuts Draw Warnings From Charities Over Humanitarian Consequences
UK Financial Conduct Authority Issues Guidance for Motor Finance Redress Scheme
UK Met Office Launches Aviation Programme to Reduce Climate Impact of Persistent Contrails
Former UK Civil Service Chief Received Record 500,000 Pound Severance Payment
West Midlands to Bring Bus Network Under Public Franchising Model
UK Government Drops Plan to Relax Affordable Housing Requirements After Backlash
UK Reaffirms Military Support for Ukraine Despite Russian Hybrid Warfare Threats
UK Technology Sector Expands Nearly 8 Percent as Digital Industry Outpaces Wider Economy
UK Drought Threatens Harvests Across England and Wales as Food Inflation Risks Persist
UK Government Pledges 442 Million Pounds to End Rough Sleeping by Christmas
UK Government Signals Willingness to Reconsider Digital Services Tax Amid US Tariff Threats
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9 Percent as Energy Costs Threaten Economic Recovery
NHS Hospitals Cancel Surgeries as Extreme Heat Pushes Ward Temperatures Above 40 Degrees Celsius
UK Heatwave Forces Emergency Measures as Wildfire Risk, Hospital Disruption and Drought Intensify
A Sleepless Night on Wall Street: Nasdaq to Begin Nearly Round-the-Clock Trading
"The First in the World": 69-Year-Old Protested Artificial Intelligence—and Went to Jail
Ukraine's Ousted Defence Minister Calls for Wartime Presidential Election
UK Marks Ten Years of Night Tube as London Weekend Usage Exceeds Eighty-One Thousand Journeys a Night
Met Office Issues Thunderstorm Warnings Across Northern Ireland Over Flash-Flood Risk
Frasers Group Raises Stake in Hugo Boss to Nearly Forty-Eight Percent
Scottish Clyde Marine Pilots Prepare for Strike That Could Disrupt Glasgow and Greenock Shipping
×