Overview
- In a Westminster speech to NPCC and APCC leaders, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said officers should not investigate perfectly legal language on social media and indicated legislation could clarify the boundaries.
- She called the 43-force structure irrational and a postcode lottery, with a white paper due in the coming weeks outlining a broader reform agenda including a new National Centre for Policing.
- Mahmood confirmed plans to abolish elected Police and Crime Commissioners in 2028, with oversight moving to mayors or policing boards, and said some PCC powers will return to the Home Secretary.
- Highlighting wasted back-office hours and duplicated procurement, she said forces rely on outdated systems as they face a reported £1.2 billion budget shortfall.
- Lord MacDonald will review police powers around protests and social media, while NPCC chair Gavin Stephens said the 43-force set-up is no longer affordable and the APCC warned of an accountability vacuum.