Thursday, November 13, 2025

The home secretary is to abolish police and crime commissioners, the elected local politicians created by the coalition government in 2012. 

It is true that they have not noticeably improved the accountability of police forces, but it does seem politically convenient that this means not holding elections to replace the current commissioners in May 2028. 

In other words, Labour is cancelling a swathe of elections that Reform candidates would have been likely to win a year before a possible general election. 

This follows the government postponing this year’s elections for a number of local councils as they are reorganised – again, elections in which Nigel Farage’s party might have expected to do well. 

As for the £100m supposedly saved, let us see what alternative mechanisms of democratic accountability Shabana Mahmood proposes in the next few weeks. 

When is 1100 a dozen?

Answer at the bottom of today’s email 

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