Has the BPA boycott of the Met ended?

The boycott of the Metropolitan Police by the Black Police Association (BPA), which started after vicious race rows following the suspension of the Met’s most senior ethnic minority, Tarique Ghaffur, has recently ended, according to The Guardian.

A row spanning almost 16 months started when Ghaffur, third in charge, accused then head, Sir Ian Blair of racism and sued the force for discrimination. The BPA reacted by urging ethnic minorities not to join the Met, resulting in a detrimental effect on their efforts to recruit from ethnic minorities.

Ghaffur later left The Met but the row raged on with Scotland Yard said to have privately accepted that ethnic minority officers were less likely to get promoted and more likely to be disciplined.

The Metropolitan’s deputy commissioner Tim Godwin, who vowed to personally address issues of race and discrimination, spearheaded the negotiations. He stated, "It is accepted that we have more to do if we are to be confident that these processes give everyone the same opportunities. We want to see the same outcome – the very best quality of policing for all the communities of London."

Since the furore surrounding the Stephen Lawrence case, which found The Met to be institutionally racist, Scotland Yard have struggled to keep the faith of their ethnic minority employees. This deal indicates that eliminating discrimination is finally being taken seriously.