There is clearly no real recognition of the reality of policing or the immediate threat of fanatics.

What police officer or solider would want to put up his or her life on the line when all they get back is criticism and abuse. Cut way the arguments about the Middle East and US/UK politics and it boils down to people wanting to murder you and me if given the chance.

Seems that in the UK people only believe in one thing. That nobody in authority is doing their job or can be trusted. That somehow everybody in public service has got it wrong and is just plain incompetent. Perhaps the real world is more dangerous and that thousands of times a day those you condemn make the right decisions and you stay alive. But I guess that doesn't fly in the culture of blame and whinge.

Ian, Toronto, Canada

This deeply politicised senior officer should be sacked not expected to resign for several reasons;
1. He doesn't realise he has brought a once great force into ridicule.
2. He is politicised, namely allowing marked police vehicles to carry Labour Slogans especially during a General election.
3. This is the Officer who wondered what all the fuss was about regarding the So'ham Murders.
4. This is the officer who tried to prevent an outside investigation into the de Menezes shooting until his force had time to clear the scene.
5. This is the Officer who is so out of touch with his officers that he wasn't told that an innocent man had been shot till the following day.
6. This is the Man who wants 90 day detention without charge or the case being put to them of persons accused of the mot serious crimes.
Finally, I believe he should be sacked because of reason 7
7. He doesn't have the Honour to resign with some dignity.

Howard, Basildon, England

One more push and Blair's history. So, altogether, PUSH.

Andrew Milner, Yokohama, Japan

this government and its appointees are tainted with corruption and non accountability. They are unaware of the meanings of respect and conscience. They have to suffer at the hands of the electorate and it will be to our everlasting sorrow and regret if they are re-elected by those who cling to their tailcoats.

ben, kettering,

Clearly this shameless individual has learned lessons from his political namesake. He may have to be forcibly levered out of his seat. There were, if I remember correctly, doubts raised as to whether Ian Blair told the truth about his knowledge of the shooting dead of an innocent man. Clearly he has lost the trust of the public and official bodies - he should go while he still has a small scrap of dignity left.

Neil, Gloucestershire, England

This is absolutely nothing like the McCann saga, and I don't think the public have forgotten anything. Particularly the doubts which were cast on Ian Blair's integrity. He, it seemed, was for over 24 hours the only person in the Metroplitan Police not to know an innocent man had been shot - even his secretaries in an adjoining office knew. Hmm, was that the truth I wonder?

Neil, Gloucestershire, England

Just like the McCann saga, we are all forgetting one important fact here. Charles de Menezes was an illegal immigrant who is alleged to have forged his passport to indicate that he could stay in Britain, he was working illegally paying no income tax, and there fore was a criminal who, when challenged by the police would have naturally run away. If he had been legal, he would have stopped and put his hands up as we all would in those circumstances. In fact, if he had been completely not guilty, he would not have been in Britain at al.

So why should Ian Blair be forced to resign? It is sad that CdM was shot but it was to a certain extent a self-inflicted death in my opinion. He should not have been there. The police were at the start of a campaign to eradicate terrorists just after many lost their lives to bombs on the Underground and they have been exonerated for their actions which at the time, they took considerable personable risk.

B J Deller, Marbella, Spain

I am amazed at all the band wagon jumpers who would have been sceraming for his head if the man had turned out to be a suicide bomber and lives had been lost; mistakes are made but the country is under attack and Ian Blair and his force has stopped numerous attacks so why should he go simply to satisfy the Tory party who are underminning the authority of the police with their political witch hunt.

M. Hughes, Truro

Mark Hughes, Truro, Cornwall

The Commissioner does nothing to bring about confidence that future action by his police force would not result in what amounted to " daylight murder" of an innocent civilian as has happened in this case.
He gives only excuses for the deplorable failures saying nothing about measures to bring about better standards of policing in future.
He has been found guilty by a properly constituted enquiry into police conduct.
The London Assembly has voted overwhelmingly for him to resign.
The Home Secretary and his close colleagues support him only because a lack of support would reflect badly on them.
Sir Ian Blair should resign and make way for a commissioner in whom the public could have confidence.

Robert Thomson, London,

I am afraid the time is long gone when any one in authority will accept responsibility for the acts of his subordinates. Resignations now only occur when sexual misconduct or fraud has been uncovered, not when someone has failed in their job.
The buck should stop at the top but that is no longer the case and we have no means of making incompetent persons resign when they have failed in their responsibilities.
I wonder what effect that has on such people when they make decisions - they can disregard being held responsible for them.
Question. Why is the post of Commissioner of Police a political appointment?

John, Eastbourne, UK

The UK has become a communist state. There is no accountability. What a sad place this place has become. Very sad.

Henry Northcroft, London, UK

Blair the cop is showing the same insensitivity to public mistrust as his namesake did. In spite of massive mistrust in his abilities and despite calls from all shade of opinion for him to do the honourable thing it is his obvious intent that the only way he will leave his job is on death. Certainly our dear Home Secretary has shown that she will back him through hell & high water. Are there skeletons in the cupboards that he knows about which would embarass our already taited Brownite government?

J Wilson, Ayr,

al Qaeda, here in Britain and abroad must be splitting their sides laughing at us turn on ourselve like this.

What a joke.

Jez W, Leeds,

Clearly the man has no honour and no shame and is as much a part of this labour circus as all those in red who back him to the hilt . Come the next election we must make a stand . Vote for anyone but labour !

Benzo, Nr Chelmsford,

I like this bloke's style.

I'm not defending the force in relation to the deeply unfortunate death of an innocent man. However, just because some pack of gormless committee members is sitting around years after the event passing judgement doesn't mean that he should fall on his sword just because they say he should.

That's just a symbolic resignation, which actually helps no-one's cause. Imagine if a bomber was allowed to get away and bomb people? Then there would be hell to pay. Not all mishaps and mistakes are negligent, even if their consequences are dramatic.

The passing of that no confidence motion by a group of playground councilors who know they have no jurisdiction in the matter of his appointment or removal is the height of grandstanding and pettiness.

Iain Mango, London,

What is the point of any ordinary citizen having a view, as clearly even those on public bodies that express a 'no confidence' view are challanged by Mr Blair to sack him knowling they can't. Another example of the gravy train mentality of senior public figures whose moral and professional consciences clearly don't prick them when it comes to losing their massive pay and benefits.

William Alley, London,

The belligerent arrogance of Blair highlights the attitude throughout Britain's police force. They are out of control, unaccountable and frankly dangerous. The police need to be reigned in immediately, although since they work for the government as something akin to the secret police, this will only get worse. Add to this the constant calls for authoritarian controls, increased police powers the ever decreasing personal liberty. Furthermore, the head of MI5 sprouting nonsense about child bombers to help the govt grab the headlines. We now have a police force, intelligence service and government with the sole intention of crushing the rights of its civilians. Welcome to 21st century Britain!

Emma, London,

It was New Labour who has politicised the Metropolitan Police not the Tories' call for Blair to resign.

Tom, St. Albans, England

This has the whif of a decaying Government trying desparately to cling onto its own.

After yet another mauling of Brown by Cameron yesterday, Labour looks very weak. The mood of the people has changed but they do not see it.

MarkS, Leeds,

If no-one is culpable, then we have to accept that targeting and shooting dead an innocent member of the public is part and parcel of policing.
The day that the British public accept this as fact will be a sorry day

Pat Owen, London,

Will he ? Won't he ??...

I suspect this now has more to do with securing his contractual pay off, as I am sure if he resigned due to the pressures of his own wrong doing, this would trigger a clause for non payment. Whereas if a decision to "remove him from his post" were taken, then all payments would be due.

Perhaps some focus on payments for resignation vs payments for removal from post should be given to provide a clearer indicator on why someone may stay in post when such obvious failings have occured in their areas of responsibility.

Mr Blair will be keen to protect his huge and amassed benefits from years in the force.... if it were a beat constable found guilty of neglecting the duties entrusted to him, he would be removed stripped of all benefits.

Could it be the knighthood and Privilege of the few that is really being protected here!! He will be gone by Xmas, there will then be 2 weeks of media coverage on his shocking severance terms...

Mr Stokes, Cheshire, UK

Why should he resign? What about the people in t he control room? Any of them going?
How about The Prime Minister? He was involved.
This stinks of scapegoating.
Sir Ian has done nothing wrong. Leave him to do the job he has been doing so well thus far.

E R Mann, Warwick, U.K.

I think Sir Ian Blair should admit he is out of his depth in his position and instead of insisting he has done nothing wrong he should accept responsibility for the mistakes of his juniors due to his own political bias towards his namesake who could do no wrong. He is not a thieftaker like his predecessor but a political appointee who is out of his depth.

A R Gibson, Slough, Berks