Much has been made of Sadiq’s sale of Boris’ water cannon today. It’s easy to forget that the three cannon were purchased at a time when there were great fears of civil unrest in the wake of the London riots. Guido understands that Cameron had privately agreed he’d licence them if there was another riot. However, Theresa May blocked it politically, asking for copious safety assurances, which were met by the Mayor’s Office and the Met but then ignored by the Home Secretary.

A source close to Boris told Guido “Boris made tackling crime his top priority when he came into office… he reduced the murder rate by 50% and brought overall crime down by 20%. This is a legacy the new mayor has sadly been unable to match.”

It looks to Guido as if Boris’ overall approach worked…