Boris Johnson would be barred from joining the police because of his remarks describing black people as “piccaninnies” and comparing Muslim women to “letterboxes”, the UK’s most senior counterterror officer has said.
Asked whether someone would be allowed to join a police force if they had made the same comments, Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu said: “No, they wouldn’t be recruited into policing.”
Mr Basu would not comment on the prime minister’s remarks directly but told The Guardian: “Every public figure who’s got a microphone and has got an opportunity to speak should take the opportunity to be bringing society together.
“The most important thing everybody should be aiming for is a socially cohesive, inclusive society … we should all be very careful about what we say publicly.” [The Independent] Read more
