Another name that took its time coming through with a qualifying obituary was David McNee. McNee was the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police throughout that famously law-abiding, copper-respecting period of 1977 to 1982. A brief runthrough of the highlights of his five-year reign:
- The Iranian Embassy siege, which he was in charge of operations against right up until someone actually got shot – at which point control was handed over to the military.
- The Brixton Riots: McNee believed that there was no bad relationship between the black residents of London and the police, and the only possible reason for rioting was agitation by white left-wing radicals. Lord Scarman didn’t see his point of view on this.
- The death of Blair Peach, which McNee responded to by saying that if people “kept off the streets of London and behave yourselves you won’t have the [Special Patrol Group] to worry about.”
- The Irish lad breaking into the Queen’s bedroom and having a wank and a fag.
Yeah, he was pretty shit at being a copper.
David McNee
23 March 1925 – 26 April 2019
Died aged 94 (unique joker hit)