Former Met chief to enter Lords

Tuesday, 1 February 2005 12:00 AM

Sir John Stevens, the former head of the Metropolitan Police, has been given a seat in the House of Lords.

Downing Street announced this morning that Sir John has been given a life peerage and will be able to sit and vote in the House of Lords.

The Queen's appointment of Sir John as a non-party political peer follows a direct recommendation from Tony Blair.

Most non-party peerages are recommended by the House of Lords Appointments Commission, but the Prime Minister reserves the right to make up to ten direct nominations in a parliament.

Sir Ian Blair, Sir John's successor as Metropolitan Police Commissioner, begins his first day in the job today.

He said that his key ambitions were to "build stronger links with Londoners" and make London "the safest major city in the world."

Sir Ian said he knew people did not define how safe they felt by crime statistics alone. "They define it by how their neighbourhood, their journey to work and their leisure time is affected by so-called antisocial behaviour."

He therefore promised to tackle "yobbery" to make living, working and visiting London increasingly enjoyable.

And, there would be a continued focus on serious crime, with the Met ready to "take on prolific offenders, particularly those whose crimes are fuelled by drugs." He also pledged that the Met would "do our utmost to keep Londoners safe from those who would carry out terrorist acts."

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