Sadiq Khan is not fit for purpose. He’s checked out of the job and it’s impacting his ability to lead our police. But this is fixable.
We can get the police back on track and leave Sadiq to saunter off to a cushy life at an eco lobby group, or slink his way back into Parliament.
As we know, the Met Police has been in special measures for nearly two years.
Yet while the London Fire Brigade has managed to pull itself out of a similar situation this week, with no help from Sadiq Khan, it only shines a spotlight on how far the police are lagging behind.
Susan Hall: 'Sadiq Khan is not fit for purpose. He’s checked out of the job and it’s impacting his ability to lead our police. But this is fixable'
PA
With Sadiq Khan at the helm, the Met's been spinning its wheels, and London's paying the price with a crime wave.
Over 1,000 people have lost their lives to violence on his watch. While the Met commissioner is cracking down after the horrific scandals, Sadiq Khan could not be less interested.
He would rather snipe at the police from the sidelines, than take responsibility for his own failings.
Perhaps he doesn’t get it. Leadership is about so much more than the perks – it’s about taking responsibility when things go wrong.
Sadiq Khan has allowed London to become a free-for-all for criminals. It's like they've got a free pass, with Sadiq Khan too distracted by his numerous side hustles and vanity projects to notice the chaos on his own doorstep.
So, what's to be done?
I have a targeted rescue plan to yank the police out of the doldrums and get them back solving crimes again.
I have sourced £200 million to invest in the Met, putting boots back on the ground, rebuilding trust with communities, and showing the crooks we mean business.
This won’t be the first time I’ve made our streets safer. When I was leader of Harrow council, we took serious action to get crime down, bringing the community, council, and the police together to make our streets safe.
And we became the safest borough in London. Now I want to deliver the same for our entire city.
I will put resources into the police, not into pointless stunts or overseas jaunts. We'll focus on getting back to basics.
Stopping crime, rebuilding trust, and making London a place where families feel secure again. The choice couldn't be clearer.
Just imagine how much worse it will be if lawlessness spreads unchecked for another four years; if Sadiq Khan is given permission to ignore us even more?
That’s why it's time for Sadiq Khan to hit the road. Let's bring back safety, let's bring back order, and let's bring back pride to our streets.
Together, we can make our city safe.
Susan Hall is the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London.
