Stakeknife police chief emerges as surprise contender to be Met commissioner

The police chief leading the inquiry into the Northern Ireland Stakeknife spy scandal has emerged as a surprise contender to succeed Dame Cressida Dick as the Metropolitan Police commissioner.

Jon Boutcher, a former chief constable who is heading the inquiry into allegations of kidnap, torture and murder by the British agent codenamed Stakeknife, applied for the job shortly before Wednesday’s deadline, The Telegraph understands.

He served 28 years as a detective with the Met, leading the hunt for the failed 21/7 London suicide bombers in 2005, as well as Operation Rhyme, an investigation into an al-Qaeda-linked plot to kill thousands of people in the US and UK.

He was chief constable of Bedfordshire Police for four years before taking charge of Operation Kenova, the inquiry into Stakeknife, once described as the “jewel in the crown” for the security forces in Northern Ireland, but allegedly implicated in murder and torture while heading the IRA’s mole-hunter teams.

Mr Boutcher is one of at least four contenders believed to have applied to replace Dame Cressida, following her forced resignation in February. All four have served at the Met.

Sir Mark Rowley, the former head of the UK’s counter-terrorism policing strategy, is thought to be one of the front-runners. Nick Ephgrave, the current Assistant Commissioner of the Met, is also thought to be in the frame.

Kevin Hurley, a former police officer and police and crime commissioner for Surrey, has applied, although he is regarded as an outside bet.

A number of leading police figures have declined to put themselves forward, some for personal reasons and others because they are concerned about the toxic political environment in which the Commissioner has to operate.

Earlier this week, Dame Lynne Owens, the former head of the National Crime Agency, announced that she would not apply.

Dame Lynne, who stepped down from the agency last September to focus on recovering from breast cancer, would have been considered a hot favourite because she is not only widely respected in policing, but is well-liked by Priti Patel, the Home Secretary.

She wrote on Twitter that it had been a difficult decision but that she would not talk about her reasons for not applying, except to say it was not health-related:

During his time leading Bedfordshire Police between 2015 and 2019, Mr Boutcher championed diversity and successfully recruited more black and ethnic minority officers into the force. 

In addition, he was the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for race, religion and belief.

In 2018, he told the Police Oracle website: “It feels to me that policing, and society, keeps failing to learn the lessons of history. We have got to make sure that, because we live in such a multi-cultural society, the race agenda retains the level of primacy and priority it deserves.”

However, Mr Boutcher has been an outspoken critic of government cuts to youth services and policing.

“I’m not a liberal-hearted, Lefty softy. But let us police those who want to damage our society and choose to damage our society,” he told The Guardian in an interview in 2019.

“But provide the support for those who are caught by circumstance and give them pathways away from crime. That needs more money.”

The Home Secretary will have the final say on the appointment after consulting with Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London.