A New 'Met' for London

The Liberal Democrat Mayoral and London Assembly campaigns are now underway following Rob Blackie's selection as Mayoral candidate.

With crime rising across London and Greenwich (with a decrease as a result of the pandemic), concerns over policing and the Met police continue to grow. 

The Casey report into the Met revealed things that should never be used to describe a police service. From homophobia to racism and misogyny, it is clear that the Met must be reformed.

Greenwich Borough Liberal Democrats consequently welcome the launch of the ‘A new Met for London’ campaign, but know far more needs to be done.

Earlier this month, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Eltham and Chislehurst, Ulysse Abbate, attended one of the Met's local events in Kidbrooke. There was a clear consensus in the room that there is a need for change. The Greenwich Borough Liberal Democrats wholeheartedly support this sentiment, with Ulysse commenting:

"For too long, the obsession over political point-scoring and rhetoric has deprived London, and the country as a whole, of an effective strategy to tackle crime. We need policymakers to use evidence and to abandon their same old policies that create the same old results. 

"From investing more in rehabilitation and youth services to education and training that actively challenges discrimination and hate; from destroying gangs’ business models by creating a regulated, legal cannabis market to working closer with the health service to ensure that neurodivergent people and those with mental health problems are supported in the most appropriate way, the Met must do more and take a fresh approach.

"As parliamentary candidate for Eltham and Chislehurst, I will campaign for evidence-based, liberal policies that reduce crime and rebuild trust, challenging the status quo that for too long has failed citizens.”

Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Greenwich and Woolwich, Chris Annous, said:

"The Met has lost the confidence of Londoners. The Met's culture must change from one of shielding bad officers from scrutiny to one where discriminatory behaviour is actively rooted out.

"The Liberal Democrats are clear that strong reform is needed to restore trust in our police service. As a starting point, this must mean abandoning suspicionless stop and search and focusing resources on tackling serious crime instead of wasting police time over the possession of small quantities of cannabis.

"With Labour failing to deliver this in London, I will continue to make the case for an unashamedly evidence-based and liberal approach to policing in our city."

As the elections for London and the general election loom near (May 2024 and January 2025 at the latest), and as Greenwich builds its election machine, you can support our efforts to reform and improvie policing in London by becoming a member here.