London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Priti Patel accused of ‘power grab’ over new policing proposals

Priti Patel accused of ‘power grab’ over new policing proposals

Exclusive: chief constables and commissioners criticise plans to make it easier for home secretary to intervene

Police leaders have accused Priti Patel of a “power grab” that would allow the home secretary to intervene in local law enforcement matters and silence chiefs who want to speak out on issues deemed politically sensitive.

An extraordinary row has broken out behind the scenes, with police bosses accusing Patel of trying to obtain new powers without parliamentary approval.

The vehement backlash from chief constables and police and crime commissioners (PCCs) comes after an attempt by the government to redraft a written protocol that tries to define where the responsibility lies in policing.

Parts of the plan have been labelled “profoundly dangerous” anda “power grab threatening operational independence” by one chief constable. Police and crime commissioners, in a private response, described some of the government proposals as “ultra vires”, meaning going beyond the home secretary’s legal authority.

The government handed powers over local policing to PCCs as part of its localism agenda a decade ago. But one government proposal makes it easier for the home secretary to intervene in such matters, while another increases the pressure on chiefs and PCCs to answer to the home secretary.

A Home Office source with close knowledge of Patel’s thinking rejected the criticism. They said: “It is not a power grab, it is not a threat to operational independence, but making clear whose job and whose responsibility things are in the policing world. Should it not be the home secretary’s role to ask questions?”

The row at the top of the criminal justice system in England and Wales centres on the Home Office’s attempt to revise the policing protocol, which was first produced in 2011 and came into force in January 2012.

The Home Office draft of its new version, seen by the Guardian, was sent to chief constables and PCCs for their views, with consultation closing on 2 May. It sets out how the government, chief constables and police and crime commissioners should work together.

It is widely agreed that, after a decade, updating the original version is a good idea. But the new draft protocol gives the home secretary the right to demand answers from chief constables, which PCCs believe impinges on their role.

One chief constable said the protocol “expanded” the home secretary’s role beyond what is written in law.

Another said: “It was your party that gave these powers away, if they don’t like it, take it back with legislation through parliament. A lot of chiefs believe the way it is written now is ultra vires. They are angry.”

Since Patel became home secretary, her department has wanted more involvement in policing under a policy called “lean in”. The chief constable said: “They use the term leaning in. For the first time, the chiefs are leaning out.”

A Home Office source said the changes made sense and expressed bafflement at the opposition. “We are going to write down more clearly whose job is what, who can ask for information and who can do various things,” they said.

The 2012 version of the protocol made clear that the introduction of PCCs had “allowed for the Home Office to withdraw from day-to-day policing matters”.

The new version, police leaders say, tries to claw back power without parliamentary approval, with Patel and her officials wanting to expand her “legitimate role in holding PCCs and CCs [chief constables] to account”, and thus make it easier to take police leaders to task.

The proposed protocol says: “We propose to lower the threshold for home secretary intervention in appropriate circumstances. This would equip the home secretary to intervene earlier as required, thus reducing the risk of failing to deliver effective policing.”

Government proposals would also increase pressure on police leaders to provide the home secretary with information that she asks for, which they are not obliged to do. The document says: “In order to ensure that the home secretary is equipped with the information required to respond to the public and parliament, PCCs and CCs should expect the home secretary to ask chief constables for information about policing matters.”

In their private response, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners said: “There is no formal statutory power for the home secretary to require the police and crime commissioner to give information … As such, any attempt to create a legal responsibility for police and crime commissioners to provide information to the home secretary through the protocol would be ultra vires.”

Also in the proposed protocol is a demand that chief constables act “in a politically neutral manner”, which has been added to the previous stricture that they must be impartial.

This is opposed by chief constables. One chief said they would be “fettered” and unable to comment on public policy that they believe may affect crime fighting – such as the effects of austerity. Another chief said it was so imprecise that they could not publicly speak out on issues of political dispute – such as tougher sentences or opposing the decriminalisation of cannabis, which is supported by some frontline politicians.

The elected police and crime commissioners said such a “recentralisation” cannot be done through “amendments to the protocol”. Instead, they said: “Creation of new powers of strategic oversight can only be achieved through primary legislation and must be subject to the full scrutiny that is required of primary legislation.”

In another section, they say, the “proposed change seeks to alter the constitutional relationship between the police, the people, and central government, which is one of the great strengths of British policing”.

The deep misgivings come despite the protocol’s foreword giving this reassurance: “The protocol cannot create new law, provide actors with powers they do not already have, or take away the discretion of any relevant body to use their existing powers.”

It adds: “By updating the protocol, we intend to bring greater clarity to the role of the home secretary in the policing landscape, as well as the role of chief constables, PCCs and police and crime panels.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×