Former Met Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu: I spent a year in therapy to get over what happened in my career

"When I signed up to the police my friends said, 'Why on earth
are you joining a corrupt and racist organisation?'"


Neil Basu joined the police force as uniformed officer in 1992.
He rose through the ranks to become an assistant commissioner of
the Metropolitan Police in 2015, a role he held until 2021.
Alongside this, he served as the UK's head of counter terrorism
policing and Met assistant commissioner of specialist operations,
working closely with MI5. During that time, he led investigations
into 12 terror attacks, foiled 29 plots and charged three Russian
state assassins in connection with the Salisbury Novichok
poisonings.


In this rare and candid conversation, Neil doesn't hold back. He
talks about the racism he's faced, the barriers he's had to break
down and the tough leadership lessons he's learned throughout his
career. But perhaps most powerfully, he explains why he firmly
believes the Metropolitan Police is institutionally racist and
why police chiefs must acknowledge it and apologise.


This episode is not suitable to those under 18 and contains
sensitive topic discussions including racism and violence. If you
are affected by anything you hear in this episode and need
support, please see the suggested website links below.


HOPE not hate


SARI


Stop Hate UK