Written by Were Kelly
The Labour government has unveiled a sweeping plan to scrap the system of elected Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales, labelling the Tory-era innovation a “failed experiment” that has cost the public purse over £100 million a year. Home Office Minister Sarah Jones confirmed on Thursday that the 41 PCC roles will be abolished by the end of their current terms in 2028, with their powers transferred to combined authority mayors and local councils.
The move, a central part of Labour’s policing reforms, aims to streamline oversight and redirect the estimated annual savings into funding 13,000 new neighbourhood police officers. Police and Crime Commissioners were introduced by the Conservative-led coalition government in 2012 with the aim of making police forces more accountable to the public. However, they have been consistently plagued by low voter turnout, often dipping below 20%, and criticism over their politicisation of law and order.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated, “The experiment with PCCs has failed. We will ensure accountability is returned to a local level through mayors and local authorities, figures who are already known and accountable to their communities. This isn’t just about saving money; it’s about restoring a focus on visible, local policing.” The government’s timeline involves publishing a white paper in the coming weeks, followed by legislation in 2026 to facilitate the full transition by 2028.
The announcement was met with sharp criticism from the Conservative party. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp lambasted the plan, stating, “This is merely rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic. It creates an accountability vacuum at a time when police numbers have fallen by 1,300 under Labour. They are dismantling a direct line of democratic accountability to the public.” The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, responded more cautiously. A spokesperson said, “We welcome a review of police governance and look forward to contributing to the development of a more effective model that supports our members and the communities they serve.”
The broader context of this reform points to a significant reversal of the Conservative’s policing architecture. Critics of PCCs have long argued that the role injects party politics into an arena that requires operational impartiality. The Labour government’s “securonomics” agenda prioritises community-focused initiatives, particularly in the face of rising knife crime, which has increased by seven per cent this year. However, risks remain; the shift could concentrate significant power in the hands of regional mayors, while rural areas without a metro mayor may face a more fragmented and less visible oversight structure. The government’s pledge to boost officer numbers with the savings will be a key metric by which the public will judge this major constitutional change.
Sources: The Guardian, Mirror Online, BBC Politics, LabourList.
