Overview

• The Metropolitan Police has launched a consultation on adding Freemasonry to its declarable associations policy.
• The process will gather views from officers, staff, the Police Federation and other representative bodies.
• Senior officers plan discussions with the United Grand Lodge of England about the proposed policy change.
• Membership would remain permitted, with declarations used to assess and mitigate risks to integrity, operations or public confidence.
• The move reflects continuing intelligence reports and staff concerns over effects on investigations, promotions and misconduct, and comes as entry vetting refusal rates have risen from 5% in 2020–21 to 11% in 2023–24.