I was shocked to hear Sir Ian Blair, the former Met Police Commissioner, actually say that yesterday.
Within minutes of giving his opinion about diversity at the Met Police Race and Faith Inquiry, Blair took a pop at Tarique Ghaffur, Britain's most senior-ranking Asian officer, for lodging a race discrimination claim against the Met. He implied that someone of his rank 'should have known better' when it came to lodging a tribunal claim.
He said: "There is a sense in which this Inquiry is rewarding bad behaviour. Tribunals are designed for [employees with] a far more junior status."
When asked by the Inquiry panel whether he understood all staff of all backgrounds and levels had a right to lodge genuine claims, he said: "I can understand and accept that. I would have wished it [the claim] be balanced with a certain amount of pride as to what has been achieved [in diversity]."
Blair is clearly still reeling from being sacked by the Mayor. A series of high-profile race discrimination claims last year ultimately led to his departure. By attacking the purpose of the Inquiry - which he claims, is heavily based on tribunal claims that should not have happened - Blair is saying that the decisions which led to his departure were rushed and based on little consideration.
Is Blair justified to say it was not right for Ghaffur to lodge a tribunal claim because of his seniority? Surely race discrimination is race discrimination and if someone feels they have a genuine case that cannot be resolved outside court, the claim is justified.
Perhaps a better question could be: is it right that a senior-ranking employee went to the press with his tribunal claim?
