When he was an MPA Member, Damian Hockney was alone for a year in calling openly for Sir Ian Blair to quit, at a time when the Conservatives were publicly backing the Commissioner. As an unknown politician from a small party, he was given lead item on all three national evening news broadcasts for his low level call and he says that's when realised that the politicisation of the role of Met Chief was complete. He thinks that the latest developments hold dangers which are a logical extension of government muddying the waters of the way London is run. Today's MPA meeting, the first with Boris as Chair, did not allay his concerns...

Yesterday’s elbowing of Sir Ian Blair out of Scotland Yard was the first sign that Mayor Boris Johnson understands the implied power of his mandate. It’s been a long time coming and it’s very welcome.

Damian Hockney believes that the departure last night of the City Hall Director of Corporate Services is worth the media exclamation mark even if it does not get one...he thinks it will have more of an impact on how the Mayor delivers than the recent sausage machine of high profile advisers like Ray Lewis and Tim Parker entering and leaving the building. He says that 'small government' must mean efficient government - and that the Mayor needs to get a grip on the running of City Hall, and not leave it to unelected senior advisers.