MP backs Federation’s concerns over proposed policing reforms

29 January 2026

A senior MP has added his voice to growing concerns from West Mercia Police Federation over government proposals that could reshape local policing across England and Wales.

Mark Pritchard, Conservative MP for The Wrekin, raised the issue during a Westminster debate on the Police Reform White Paper, From local to national: a new model for policing, warning that the plans risk diluting effective rural policing.

Mr Pritchard urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood not to merge rural and semi-rural forces, such as West Mercia, with large urban forces like West Midlands Police, questioning whether the reforms would truly deliver ‘more efficient and effective policing.

Speaking in Parliament, he said: “We all want to see more effective and efficient policing, but I'm not quite sure whether this white paper is going to deliver it.

Mark Pritchard, Conservative MP for The Wrekin

“The devil clearly will be in the details. The Home Secretary will know West Mercia Police is a high-performing police force covering Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire.

“Can she reassure my constituents that she understands the difference between, for example, West Midlands urban policing, which she obviously oversees and lives within that jurisdiction, and the rural/semi-rural policing of forces like West Mercia?”

Mr Pritchard later reinforced his message on social media, warning that communities want officers embedded locally - not further removed by structural change.

“People want more local policing, not an unnecessary restructuring which would move local police officers further away from local communities,” he said.

Restructuring

“It would be a reorganisation too far.”

Federation secretary Lesley Williams has welcomed Mr Pritchard’s comments, saying open debate and constructive challenge from local MPs is vital as the reform proposals are discussed and refined.

She said the Federation is encouraged by MPs raising the realities of rural policing in Parliament, adding that meaningful reform can only succeed if it is shaped through ongoing dialogue with those who understand the pressures faced by officers and communities.

Responding to the Government’s White Paper, Lesley said the reforms have been presented as a way to improve access to specialist teams, strengthen the fight against serious and organised crime, and create more consistent systems nationwide.

“The Federation welcomes improvements to policing as a whole,” she said, ending: “However, these must not come at the expense of local policing and visibility.”

Read the key takeaways from the White Paper here.