politics
English mayors warn Met chief's eight-force merger plan threatens local policing
English mayors warn that the Met chief's plan to merge police forces into eight super-forces would undermine local policing.
Key points
- Mark Rowley called for the 43 police forces in England and Wales to be cut to eight to 10 super forces.
- Steve Rotheram said the proposals amounted to centralisation that would undermine local accountability.
- An official review led by Bernard Hogan-Howe is not yet published and is understood to model nine to 18 forces.
Why it matters. The outcome could reshape how policing is governed across England and Wales, with mayors seeking greater oversight of chief constables and local forces.
Mayors across England have pushed back against Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan police commissioner, after he called on Friday for the 43 forces in England and Wales to be merged into eight to 10 super forces. Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool city region, said the plan amounted to centralisation and would weaken local accountability. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood commissioned an official review by Bernard Hogan-Howe, which is understood to model between nine and 18 larger forces and has not yet been published.
Latest updates
English mayors warn Met chief's eight-force merger plan threatens local policing
English regional mayors have criticised the Metropolitan Police chief's call for England's police forces to be merged into eight larger forces. The mayors argue the plan would weaken local policing and runs counter to the government's devolution drive. The proposal is framed as a way to reshape policing structures across the country. The mayors' criticism signals a dispute over whether power should sit with regional leaders or larger national-scale forces. The article does not set out a timetable or decision point for the proposal.
Sources
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