Commitment to greater transparency and accountability outlined by PFEW conference panel

21 October 2026

A Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) leadership panel set out plans for organisational and cultural change today (Wednesday 21 October) at the Federation’s annual conference.

A full breakdown of the Federation’s intentions around transforming its credibility was provided by the panel, made up of PFEW acting deputy national chair Paul Williams, acting national secretary Mel Warnes and interim chief executive officer Gabriel Milland.

The trio went into detail on aims to become a fairer, more trustworthy and more accountable organisation in a frank discussion chaired by host Ian Collins.

Recent events involving some of the PFEW’s senior leadership were acknowledged for the damage they caused to confidence and trust among members, with an appreciation for how this now needs to be undone with urgency.

Mel opened the discussion, saying: “Members are absolutely right to be shocked and angry, feel let down, I'm sure,” she said, adding: “We've not got things right, and we need to do better. And we're honest about that.”

“This is a Federation that's worth fighting for, and that's what this transformation programme is about, because we need to build that trust.”

 

Credit: Anderson Photography

 

Paul then delivered a candid assessment on the unacceptable culture which previously existed among some PFEW leaders, going into detail on how meaningful improvements could be made to avoid such circumstances ever repeating themselves.

He explained how division was caused by an undercurrent of personal agendas and misaligned goals, stressing how important it is to have an organisation which is united at national level, correctly feeding into branches and representatives at local level.

Mel agreed, believing that a fragmented Federation network does members across the country a significant disservice.

“One Federation is stronger, and that will only benefit the members,” she said.

Cultural change

Nevertheless, Paul argued that cultural change could only genuinely happen if individuals reflected on their own actions, acknowledged mistakes and took responsibility for improving matters for those who followed.

Gabriel agreed, arguing that this was the first step in getting the transformation programme off the ground.

“I think everything flows from culture. And culture is the most important thing,” he said.

Gabriel also delved into how the PFEW's structure would be overhauled, saying independent reviews informed the plans and produced 49 recommendations.

Headline recommendations included replacing the separate national chair and secretary roles with a single general secretary position, reducing the size of the National Board and strengthening the responsibilities of the National Council.

Extra scrutiny

And as an extra layer of scrutiny, there is also set to be an introduction of independent non-executive directors to the Federation.

Gabriel explained these mass changes to leadership responsibilities were necessary to create ‘the organisation that our members need us to be’, placing greater value on transparency and accountability.

He went on to describe how representatives had debated transformation proposals individually before unanimously supporting the final package, with plenty of opportunity to express concerns and contribute to decisions along the way.

Paul credited this process as among the most respectful and dignified he has experienced within the Federation, reporting a willingness from participants to engage in constructive debate, even in moments of disagreement.

United Federation

Meanwhile, the panel discussed the National Council meeting on 22 September as evidence that a more united Federation was beginning to gain momentum.

They explained how acting appointments such as their own were required to enable the continuation of commitments to members while actively implementing the transformation programme.

In the longer term, it was confirmed that priorities will be determined with greater consideration of local member voices, and over the next 12 months, Paul said he expected delegates to see significant, tangible change to the National Board's culture and operations.

He underlined the need to create ‘a more approachable, more open, more transparent, more effective Federation’ - a vision which was frequently returned to by the panel throughout the discussion.

This 2026 PFEW Annual Conference continues today (Wednesday 21 October) and tomorrow (Thursday 22 October).

READ MORE: Conference opens on 60th anniversary of Aberfan tragedy.