It's no use talking tough on crime if you squeeze the Met

In the mayoral election, Boris Johnson declared: "It is important for the Mayor to take a public lead, so I will chair the Metropolitan Police Authority."

He's already resigned that job. Now he's breaking promises and cutting police numbers by 455 officers over three years.

His staff try to claim credit for the 1,000-plus extra officers delivered by Ken Livingstone's last budget. But across his four budgets, Mr Johnson will have cut police in total.

It's no good talking tough on crime if you squeeze the Met. It's not just 455 officers. Borough commanders are being forced to make five per cent cuts year-on-year, a situation described by one as "painful".

The "quality not quantity" mantra aims to soften up public opinion for changes to the Met's neighbourhood policing settlement. The cuts mean the Met struggles to redeploy staff to the frontline. One of Mr Johnson's deputies, Richard Barnes, let slip his frustration that some wards will have "full safer neighbourhood teams twiddling their thumbs".

Safer neighbourhood teams have been one of the great successes of policing. I will take a lot of reassuring that there is no threat to unpick them.

Mr McNulty is a former minister for London and police minister