Rowley must drive bigots out of the Met

IT has been another tough day for the Met. An immigration official, a former Metropolitan Police officer, has been suspended by the Home Office following an investigation into allegations of racist posts in a WhatsApp group.

The group is understood to include other former Met officers, and the BBC reports that serving officers remained members of it until after the murder of Sarah Everard by PC Wayne Couzens last year.

Some posts are said to feature racist comments on the Government’s Rwanda deportation policy and the recent flooding in Pakistan, which left nearly 1,700 people dead.

These latest revelations serve only to underline the deep-seated problems the Met faces, laid bare in the independent report into Charing Cross Station, which uncovered a culture of misogyny, racism, homophobia and bullying. The force has since been effectively placed into special measures due to a variety of failings.

On taking over, the Met’s new Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, promised to be “ruthless in rooting out racist and misogynist officers” from the force. There is no alternative, and the scale of the challenge he faces is now clear.

The Met exists to serve London, one of the most diverse cities in the world. Sir Mark will not be able to finish the arduous but vital task of rebuilding trust with all communities unless and until every last bigot is forced out.