BRITAIN: The British Home Secretary, Mr David Blunkett, faced an extraordinary challenge to his authority last night, as Humberside Chief Constable Mr David Westwood again defied him and insisted he would not stand down, writes Frank Millar, London Editor..
Mr Blunkett had ordered the Humberside Police Authority to suspend Mr Westwood following Tuesday's devastating report on the police failings which left Ian Huntley free to perpetrate the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham in August 2002.
Mr Blunkett told MPs he shared Sir Michael Bichard's view that Mr Westwood should take "personal as well as corporate responsibility" for the "deeply shocking ... errors, omissions, failures and shortcomings" in the vetting procedures and the handling of police intelligence which allowed Huntley to get his job as Soham school caretaker.
But Mr Westwood dramatically escalated his public standoff with the Home Secretary yesterday after winning the support of his police authority chairman, who said the chief constable was being made a scapegoat.
Mr Blunkett had invoked his powers under Section 31 of the Police Reform Act 2002, and the Home Office last night insisted the authority had "no choice" but to suspend Mr Westwood. However, the intervention of chairman Mr Colin Inglis, who is also leader of Hull City Council, raised the possibility of an open confrontation when the authority meets tomorrow.
Mr Inglis said: "David Westwood is a driven man. If anyone is going to see these failures corrected, it will be the current chief constable. He deserves to do that."
That was Mr Westwood's message too, in a second lengthy statement in which he pressed his case to remain in post for six months to effect the reforms recommended by Sir Michael.
Mr Westwood said to read the extent of the failures uncovered by Sir Michael's report was "a very humbling experience" and that he felt "a tremendously grave duty to put it right."
Mr Westwood denied he was defying Mr Blunkett, whose support he had lost: "Under no circumstances would I defy the Home Secretary. He's carrying out his duty, he has a process to go through." At the same time, he insisted "nobody understands the detail and the extent of what has to be done more than me."
Legal experts have suggested that if Mr Westwood wins the backing of his police authority, then the processes involved, including a possible appeal to an independent inquiry, could give him the time he seeks.