Cressida Dick appears to have the backing she needs despite a grim day for the Met Police

Cressida Dick’s face is on many front pages today, after a grim day for the Metropolitan Police.

A letter from the force to MPs last night, seen by Sky News, says: “We recognise this is part of a bigger and troubling picture.”

The missed warnings about Wayne Couzens’ behaviour, the fellow officers now being investigated for exchanging offensive messages with him, and warnings from senior female officers about the culture of the Met discouraging staff from reporting troubling behaviour, are all triggering calls for fundamental change.

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Policing minister Kit Malthouse this morning launched a full-throated defence of her, saying the Met needs a commissioner who is “transparent, willing to learn and change” and insisting the incumbent has all of that.

But what may stick in the mind for women is his message that anyone with any doubts about a police officer should “question them…or call 999”.

Despite calls for Commissioner Dick to resign from leading Labour MP Harriet Harman, and Conservative chair of the women and equalities committee Caroline Nokes – who told me this morning that the commissioner had six months to come up with a plan people could have faith in – the home secretary and London mayor, who appoint the Met chief, appear to be standing by her.

New justice secretary Dominic Raab tweeted last night that “protecting women and girls is my number one priority”.

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His department had promised to consult on a new Victim’s Law by the end of the year – enshrining the rights of victims of crime to be informed about the progress of their case and make an impact statement.

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We can expect to hear more about how seriously everyone is taking the issue at the Conservative conference in Manchester, which gets under way this weekend – but campaigners will be looking for concrete action

Tories are not jubilant as they head off for their annual gathering, despite Boris Johnson’s lead in the polls and hopes that the worst of the COVID-19 crisis is over.

Knowing their constituents are still queuing for petrol in many places, that energy bills can rise by another £139 from today, and a winter of potential disruption to supermarket supplies if the lorry driver shortage continues – before we even get to tax rises – are simmering problems for the government, which could at any point boil over.

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