Fireworks today at a full session of the London Assembly. We had before us Sir John Stevens, Met Police Commissioner and Lord Toby Harris, Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, to answer the Assembly’s questions on policing in London.

Well – it wasn’t so much the content of the meeting that produced the fireworks, but the political row that erupted and engulfed Sir John. Interestingly enough, Sir John does reasonably often lose his rag. I am always surprised when I meet people who have reached the top of the tree and, despite all their experience, training and political nouse, can’t keep a lid on their feelings. It’s so human – I love it!

Today’s explosion resulted from a discussion during the Assembly about Mayoral policing policies of the Tories. There was clearly prior animosity between Sir John and the Tories over statements about Norris’s plans for policing in London. Clearly Sir John was not enamored of them.

Anyway – the row rumbled on a bit – when suddenly, during the meeting itself, Eric Ollerenshaw (Tory leader on the GLA) ran to us waving a bit of paper in his hand. It was a ‘press briefing’ from the Labour Group headed something like ‘Top Cop slams Tory and Lib Dem mayoral policing plans’ and went on to elaborate and totally misrepresent what Sir John had actually said during the meeting. A journalist had slipped it to him for information!

It was a really disgraceful bit of politicking by Labour. Then, there was a call to suspend standing orders to allow an emergency motion condemning the Labour Group for this tawdry and untrue piece of spin.

So we all (except Labour of course) condemned this roundly and poured shame on them. Toby Harris, Labour leader, stood up to defend himself as best he could, claiming no knowledge of the release – which to be fair had gone out when he was still in the witness chair. But he started shouting during his speech, which is always a sure sign he is on the run!

Anyway – Sir John Stevens also had a chance to put his views on record about this mischief. He said he was apolitical, he would always use the right to comment on anything which might affect operational policing AND then totally denounced the ‘press release’ from the Labour Group who had misrepresented what he had said.

It was stirring stuff! The media went into a frenzy and as he exited, I could see Sir John with camera, lights, action all around him.

There is a little twist to the end of this tale. As I came down the ramp under the chamber I saw Toby Harris locked in intense conversation in a little ante-room with two of Mayor Livingstone’s key henchmen. Methinks I see the Mayor’s hand in all of this. I am only speculating – but I probably wouldn’t lose money on a bet that the origin of the release was in the Mayor’s office, but given to Labour to be issued by the Labour Group. The wording of the release was so Ken – using extreme positions and phrasing and also attacking both the Tories and LibDems.

The LibDems had not been involved in the row in the chamber between Sir John and the Tories – but Mayor Livingstone feels very threatened by Simon Hughes (Norris being kind of out of it since taking the Jarvis shilling) and always attacks the LibDems.

With the election in June – things can only get worse!