Why did Cressida Dick resign and who will replace her?

Dame Cressida Dick, head of the Metropolitan police, announced her resignation on Thursday (February 10) after pressure from the public and MPs proved too much to ignore.

The news came just hours after she told a radio phone in show that she intended to stay on in her post, to get rid of the toxic culture at the Met.

Dame Cressida has been Commissioner during a scandal riddled few years, which includes police offers sending photos of dead victims in Whatsapp groups and sharing racist, sexist, misogynistic and Islamophobic messages with each other.

Perhaps the most notably, the reaction by the Met police to the brutal killing of Sarah Everard by one of their officers, caused uproar.

Wayne Couzens kidnapped, raped and killed the 34-year-old.

The Met Police also broke up a vigil on Clapham Common where women gathered to remember Everard.

It later emerged that before the killing, Couzens was jokingly nicknamed ‘the rapist’ by colleagues.

However, it appears that the flip-flopping ‘partygate’ investigation was the final straw for decision makers able to put pressure on Dame Cressida.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said just days before Dame Cressida’s removal, that she was ‘on notice’ and had to rapidly reform Scotland Yard or risk losing her job.

Dame Cressida is to stay on for a short period while a successor is found.

Who will replace Cressida Dick? Possible candidates

Martin Hewitt – Formerly of the armed forces and once a senior Met officer, he is the current chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council. He is reportedly popular with some Conservative MPs who want more military influence in the police.

Neil Basu A Met ‘lifer’, he was most recently assistant commissioner and head of counter-terrorism. He is a strong candidate to be the next head of the National Crime Agency. Basu has previously been critical of Boris Johnson’s comments on race.

Simon Byrne – The chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and a former Met assistant commissioner. He is feared by many and could be the shock appointment needed to clean up the force.

Mark Rowley – Former head of counter-terrorism and seen as a reformer. He lost out to Dame Cressida last time, but backed her attempt to use illegal water cannons on the public. He has been seen with centre-right think tanks, which could be popular with Tory ministers.

Matt Jukes – Former chief of South Wales police and current assistant commissioner in the Met. At present, he is the acting head of counter-terrorism.

Dave Thompson The chief of West Midlands police and is standing down this year. However, he has previously expressed reluctance to take on the mammoth task of Met reform.

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