Promotion in the Met

In the Home Affairs Select Committee yesterday, MP Lorraine Fulbrooke suggested that the public would perceive Mr Haywood, former Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, as a 'dodgy geezer'.
He showed outrage at the suggestion that he took bribes but the Committee gave every indication that they also thought he was a 'dodgy geezer'.

How did this man rise to the rank he did? Somebody must have appointed him.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Tarique Ghaffur, was another who disappointed on attaining high office with his litiginous behaviour. When he was finally removed from his post there was uproar in the Racial discrimination ranks but Boris Johnson, the London Mayor, supported the move, which he said was necessary to restore confidence in the Met's operational efficiency.

How did this man rise to the rank he did? Somebody must have appointed him.

Assistant Commissioner, John Yates, has finally admitted he got it wrong when after reviewing the phone hacking scandal in 2009, he said there was no further leads to follow. He apologised for his mistake recently.

How did this man rise to the rank he did? Somebody must have appointed him.

The quality of people attaining the highest ranks of the Metropolitan Police is questionable. How can this be so? Under the last Labour administration, the post of Chief of the General staffs, for example, seemed to be given to those more amenable to the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, often to the dismay of the forces they were meant to represent. As a consequence of this, British forces were sent to Afghanistan poorly resourced.
Could the same 'dumbing down' have happened to the Met, led for much of this time by Ian Blair, who seemed to have a good rapport with his namesake?