Who appoints the Met Police Commissioner? Who they report to, salary, do they have a deputy and role explained

It’s been quite the day, the week and past 20 years for Dame Cressida Dick who has resigned as boss of the UK’s biggest police force.

It comes as the London Mayor Sadiq Khan has turned his back on the commissioner after losing confidence in her ability to reform the culture of the Metropolitan Police.

The force has been dogged by a series of controversies, including heavy criticism over its apparent hesitation to launch an investigation into alleged parties held in Downing Street and the Cabinet Office during lockdown and Sarah Everard’s murder by a serving officer.

So, who has the power to appoint a new Met Police commissioner - and what is their job role?

Who will appoint the new Met Police Commissioner? 

Home Secretary Priti Patel will now oversee the appointment of the new commissioner.

Writing in London’s Evening Standard, Ms Patel said she would be looking for someone who could deliver results for the public.

Martin Hewitt - the current chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council - has been hinted at to become one of the frontrunners for the position.

More details on how Ms Patel will set about searching for a replacement are expected to be confirmed in due course.

The Home Secretary has the final decision on the next appointment, although the process requires her to consult the mayor.

Sadiq Khan has been criticised for making clear he had no confidence in Ms Dick’s plans to reform the service - with Home Office sources adding Ms Patel was angered by his failure to inform her that he had called Dame Cressida to a meeting.

Since the commissioner’s departure - he said he would be “working closely” with the Home Secretary to find a successor.

The Home Office has the final decision on the role because the Met Police has roles beyond London - which touch on national security.

What is the salary of the Met Police Commissioner?

Cressida Dick became the first woman to hold the post of commissioner in the almost 200 years since the force was formed.

The 61-year-old was appointed in 2017, returning to the force after having retired in 2015 to take a job with the Foreign Office.

When her appointment was announced it was reported she had been offered £270,648 plus benefits, which was the same as her predecessor, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe.

However, she turned this down, reportedly opting to be paid £40,000 less at £230,000 a year.

Upon taking the role of Met Police Commissioner, Cressida Dick, then aged 56, was not able to withdraw from her police pension while she was in the job, under pensions regulations due to her receiving a salary.

Does the commissioner have a deputy?

Yes, the commissioner does have a deputy commissioner, who is Steve House, as well as four assistant commissioners.

They make up the management board who are responsible for the strategic direction of the Met Police.

The board is chaired by the commissioner and comprises of the aforementioned deputy commissioner and assistant commissioners who focus on territorial policing, specialist crime and operations, specialist operations and professionalism.

The assistant commissioners are Matt Jukes, Louisa Rolfe, Helen Ball and Nick Ephgrave.

Jukes and Rolfe have also been tipped for Ms Dick’s role.

Mr Jukes name has been thrust into the headlines with his previous experience heading up the force in South Wales while Ms Rolfe is a strong and timely candidate with her focus on tackling violence against women and girls.

What does a Met Commissioner do? 

The new Metropolitan Police commissioner will have a long list of issues to tackle once they take over from former chief - who will be working until a new candidate is found.

The job of the commissioner is to lead the force and be in charge of the capital’s 33,128 officers who police more than nine million Londoners.

According to a job advert for the role in 2017 – when Ms Dick took over – the commissioner is accountable to the Home Secretary and Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) and “must answer to Londoners and the public nationally, maintaining the highest levels of integrity, transparency and accountability”.

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