Police Forces to merge: branch chair reacts to white paper

28 January 2026

As chair of your local Federation, I am unapologetically passionate about supporting Nottinghamshire police officers.

I see firsthand the professionalism, integrity, and dedication you bring to your roles every day. It is precisely because of that commitment that I feel compelled to speak clearly and confidently on the proposals outlined in the Home Secretary’s White Paper: From local to national: a new model for policing.

Specifically, the two issues that concern me are officers requiring a licence to practice and the merger of Police Forces.

The appalling crimes committed by the few (I don’t need to mention specific names) were a betrayal of public trust and a stain on the policing profession. Like every decent police officer, I felt revulsion at their actions and concern for the damage caused to the legitimacy we rely upon to police effectively by consent. Those cases, alongside subsequent convictions and failures, rightly prompted scrutiny and reform.

I recognise that change is necessary - and locally, we are changing. Vetting processes in Nottinghamshire have been strengthened, scrutiny has increased, and lessons are being learned. Do we get it right every single time? No, and no system can offer that guarantee either. But it is vital to be honest about where the greatest failures occurred and learn from them. 

Branch chair Mark Lee

Is introducing a licence to practice the answer? In my opinion, no. Our officers are already pulled off mandatory training to plug gaps, work rest days to stay afloat and carry ever-increasing unsafe workloads. These issues need to be addressed and fixed before we introduce yet more training. I can’t help but feel that officers - not just in Nottinghamshire - but across England and Wales are being subjected to changes driven by failures elsewhere.

Against this backdrop, proposals to merge police forces risk creating a misleading narrative, one that implies all forces face the same problems and require the same solutions. I don’t agree with this. Nottinghamshire Police is not facing the same scale, complexity, or cultural challenges as other forces, for example, the Metropolitan Police, and it would be wrong to suggest otherwise.

While I agree, we must end this ‘postcode lottery’ in policing, I don’t believe that merging forces will magically resolve cultural issues in policing. Instead, merging forces risk diluting accountability, distancing leadership, and drawing resources away from smaller communities in favour of larger urban centres where political influence is strongest.

The system is broken and is breaking our members who give everything to the job, and keep the communities safe.

Leadership

Leadership means owning the problem, not passing it off.

With leadership comes accountability. It is time for leaders to take responsibility within their own force areas, make the difficult but necessary changes, and be judged on the outcomes. Other forces must be afforded the same opportunity to lead locally, address their own risks, and build on their own strengths.

The constant reshaping of policing structures is not the answer. What policing needs now is focus, investment, and a return to fundamentals. 

Government action and investment are required to deliver:

• Increased police officer numbers

• Stronger welfare and wellbeing support

• Reduced sickness and improved productivity

• Greater public trust and confidence

• Clear local accountability, allowing each force to get its own house in order

Trust will not be rebuilt through mergers or centralisation. It will be rebuilt through strong leadership, robust local systems, and officers who are properly supported to do their jobs.

That is the future I will continue to argue for, and the officers of Nottinghamshire Police have my full support in that endeavour. I would encourage all members to get in touch with me and share their views on this. I represent you, and your opinion matters.

READ MORE: Our key takeaways from the White Paper.