'Do not gaslight Britons!' Ex-Police Commissioner hands brutal takedown of Sadiq Khan after damning report

In an investigation conducted by the Policy Exchange think-tank, a new report concluded Sir Sadiq should have his responsibility for the totality of policing in the capital "removed".

The report stated: "With the apparently differential treatment of different groups based on either the cause of the protest or the identity of those protesting, it has become increasingly clear that ‘two-tier policing’ is not merely a perception but a reality.

"This inconsistent application of police powers and the law is perhaps one of the most troubling aspects of modern policing – a factor which has seriously damaged policing’s reputation for fairness in the eyes of many."

Delivering his verdict on the report, Mr Akinbusoye told GB News: "In my opinion, I think it was definitely the wrong decision for police officers to take the knee. There's ways to show your solidarity if you want to, but not when you're in police uniform.

"Your job, when you're in the uniform, is to enforce the law without fear or favour. That was the wrong decision, in my opinion.

"I was quite public about that when I was police and crime commissioner, making sure that in Bedfordshire at that time, that was not going to happen if there were any protests there. It was the wrong thing and I think it just sent the wrong message at that time."

Highlighting the plummeting confidence in the police by Londoners, he stated: "Since 2016, the level of public confidence in London by Londoners in the police was about 69 per cent. This has now plummeted to 45 per cent. That has got to send hairs raising in the Mayor's Office for Police and Crime and for the Mayor as well, and indeed for the Commissioner.

"Now, I know some absolutely amazing police officers in the Met, they do a great job, they really want to protect their communities. However, when you've got this level of issue, someone is going to be asking the question, why is this happening?"

Accusing the force of "gaslighting" Britons, the Ex-Commissioner told GB News: "Policing is a very, very difficult job, and you're never going to win for even trying, but at least you've got to try and address the perception of being biased, and the way you do that is not by gaslighting people and telling them they're just making up stuff, or they're scaremongering and trying to divide communities.

"Actually sit with the people who are raising these issues and try to see things from their point of view. I think that is the job of a Mayor, not to pick sides. You have got to listen to people who are raising very legitimate concerns and try to address those."

Noting the report's findings on Sir Sadiq's decision to cut back on stop and search, Mr Akinbusoye criticised the move and demanded an increase in numbers.

He said: "The Mayor of London is the Police and Crime commissioner for London, so he was my equivalent effectively in another part of the UK when it comes to policing. The reality is, you are not going to keep people safe if you as a Mayor with political responsibility and oversight of policing, you're pretty much telling the police to stop doing stop and search or to reduce stop and search.

"During my term, I'm proud to say that we actually doubled stop and search. Overall crime fell, and the amount of people who were being arrested for carrying weapons, that also increased."

He added: "The thing is this in London, stop and search between 2016 and 2024 has more than halved in terms of the prevalence of those. Over the same period, knife crime has increased. On a positive side, in the last 12 months or so, homicides have fallen in London and the amount of violent offending has fallen.

"But if you look at the longer term trend, it ain't good at all. And stop and search done properly is an amazing tool for keeping people safe, and we need to see more of it being done in London for sure."

In a statement, Metropolitan Commander Hayley Stewart told the People's Channel: "Our new Met for London plan is delivering significant improvements on the issues that matter most to our communities, and crime is falling across London.

"Despite a £260million funding gap and amid a shrinking Met, we are protecting neighbourhood policing response, policing and public protection so we can be there where and when the public needs us."

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: "Nothing is more important to the Mayor than keeping London safe, and he continues to lead the way by being tough on crime with a record £1.16billion support for the police this year alone.

"And tough on the complex causes of the crime through the country's first violence reduction unit, which is leading an approach rooted in prevention and also in intervention."

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