The extent of the rot in Met Police is what's so shocking - and fixing it will take brains

Former Home Secretary Lord Blunkett says the force must "systematically rid the service of corrosive individuals who are not just 'apples rotten", but something much more insidious "

The Casey Review revealed shocking failures (

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What was shocking about Baroness Louise Casey's report on the Metropolitan Police, published last week, was not just individual scandals, but the combined failure of much of the service.

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We already knew about some of the most high-profile and jaw-dropping failings, but what was most worrying to the public and to many decent police officers in London and beyond was the scale of the problem. Sir Mark Rowley, the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, had already begun a process of weeding out those who were already known to be unfit to serve. But its task is now double.

First, to hold the good guys accountable and systematically rid the department of corrosive individuals who are not just "bad apples", but something far more insidious.

Those responsible for recruiting, vetting, training and then supervising must have ethical standards and a commitment to openness and uncompromising honesty.

We all know that those who are morally flawed, or downright incompetent, are likely to recruit, protect, and even promote people in their image. Preventing these people from entering the service must be a priority, because it is too late when action must be taken to remove them from their duties.

Secretary of State Suella Braverman (

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PENNSYLVANIA)

In my lifetime, the police have too often recruited, not on the basis of fit for service in a modern, forward-looking force, but on size, weight and – yes – of the sex of those they brought into the service. Those days are over, but it is unclear whether the criteria used for entry or promotion have caught up with today's requirements.

Here's a thought: Moving forward, the Met Commissioner and Chief Constables across the country must balance transparency on issues with maintaining morale and sending positive messages to attract men and women. women committed to providing superior service for years to come.

Labour leader Keir Starmer's commitment to protecting women and girls can only be achieved if we not only have the right people with the right attitude in place, but, frankly, if we recruit far more women in the police force.< /p>