The officer who has helped shape a Home Secretary’s view of what policing is really like has won promotion as his brother bids for the country’s top job.

New Met commander Baj Javid has moved to London as elder sibling Sajid Javid looks to move into 10 Downing Street as Theresa May’s successor.

Commander Javid, 48, has secured a leading role in charge of frontine policing at Scotland Yard after earning his spurs at Avon and Somerset and, latterly, West Midlands forces.

In the capital he will be much closer to his 49-year-old Cabinet minister brother who set out his stall early on to woo the Thin Blue Line with a Police Federation annual conference speech pledge last year to provide "tools, the powers and the back-up that you need to get the job done".

Showing a more “softly-softly” approach than shown by his two predecessors, he offered an olive branch to rank-and-file personnel following years of acrimony over funding cuts and staffing reductions.

Pointing to the experiences of his brother, Mr Javid made it clear he understood the impact of the job when he said: "For those of you who stand on the front line, be in no doubt that I will be standing with you.”

Now he has thrown his hat into the ring with nine other rivals for the Tory party leadership crown, vacated by Mrs May.

The brothers were born in Rochdale, Lancashire, as two of five sons of Pakistani Muslim immigrant parents.

During his 13 years as an officer with the Avon and Somerset force, Cdr Javid made it clear to his older brother “how much harder” the job of policing entails – and how much of the blame for that lies at the door of well-meaning, but out-of-touch, politicians.

He took the future Home Secretary out on a ride in the back of his police car in Bristol city centre and let him reel with shock at hearing the abusive language the new commander was subjected to first hand – as a result Mr Javid senior understands "how hard and horrible it can be being a police officer".

“Long before I became Home Secretary, I understood the vital role police played thanks to my brother Bas,” said Mr Javid. “I've heard about the terrible situations he and his colleagues have found themselves in”.

Commander Javid’s star looks in the ascendancy after also being named the uniform services person of the year at the British Muslim Awards 2017.

He was selected ahead of other emergency services and military personal and picked up his trophy at a ceremony attended by more than 400 people in Leicester.

Last month, just before the new Met commander left the West Midlands, the force received more than half of a final tranche of £12.4 million ‘violent crime’ cash – leaving 17 others to share the rest between them.

It took a £7.62 million lion’s share of the Home Secretary’s hand-out as part of an overall £100 million fund to “take urgent action” on dealing with bloodshed on Britain’s streets.

The £12.4 million is the final part of a £100 million Serious Violence Fund, announced by the government in March’s Spring Statement.

The boost for West Midlands coincided with the force’s plans to recruit an additional 200 officers to bolster the front line in the fight against crime.

Confirming his appointment, a Met spokesman told Police Oracle: “Bas Javid is joining us on promotion from West Midlands Police and will be posted to Commander Local Policing.”

 

Meanwhile, his elder brother today officially launches his campaign to be the next Tory leader – and PM.

He has spoken about the “crazy” steep fall in police stop and search under Mrs May and the need to reverse the tactic in a bid to curb the epidemic of knife killings in London.

He said the Met Police alone stands to get 5,000 extra officers under a £1 billion UK-wide funding increase for the police he is promising in his leadership manifesto.

Mr Javid has also released a slick campaign video setting out his credentials for prime minister – in which his Cavapoo dog Bailey takes star billing.

The video also shows the Bromsgrove MP returning to his former family home in Bristol where he lived as a child, and stands outside the flat above his parents’ shop, which is now a dry cleaners.