‘Government must provide strong leadership to restore public confidence in policing’
20 September 2026
The Government must provide strong political leadership if it wants to rebuild public confidence in policing, MPs have been told during a debate in Westminster Hall.
Jonathan Hinder, the Labour MP for Pendle and Clitheroe, introduced the debate and said policing needed to be ‘relentlessly focused on doing the basics well’.
Priority
He said: “Do not look for a silver bullet to improve public confidence, because there isn’t one. An extra engagement team, more attendance at community events, a new force slogan on the side of the patrol cars focusing on recruits’ identity more than on their policing ability - these activities at the margins will not improve public confidence, no matter how well meaning.
”Let us be clear about what is a priority and what is not, and then back our officers to do the basics well, day in, day out. That is how we can improve public confidence in policing.”
And he elaborated: ”Put simply, they (the Government) can provide political leadership which sets very clear priorities that match those of the public and give our officers the backing they need to deliver on them. Policing is not just about crime, and it never has been, no matter what some people might tell us about a so-called golden age in the past.
”It is about policing protests, finding missing people, intervening to stop mentally ill people harming themselves. There always needs to be clear prioritisation from the Government and police leaders. If everything is a priority, nothing is.”
Arguing that for the last 15 years public confidence in the police had been heading in the wrong direction, Mr Hinder, who served as a police officer before entering politics, said cuts to officer numbers, shifting stances on stop and search, significant changes to police demand and reduced police visibility had all had an impact.
Support
Mr Hinder found wide-ranging support from MPs including Gareth Thomas, Labour/Co-operative MP for Harrow West, who pointed out that all too often the police were criticised for the failings of other agencies while Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat, Yeovil) said under-investment in policing had also damaged public confidence in the police service.
The debate, on 9 September, concluded with Mr Hinder thanking colleagues for their support.
“I thank all members who have spoken and intervened during the debate. So many important points have been made, and I think we have found quite a lot of agreement. I hope that we can push forward together, across the parties, because policing and crime is such an important issue for all our constituents across the country, yet it often receives far less attention in Parliament than many other issues,” he said.
“I am pleased to be able to make my small contribution to putting that right and am grateful to members for joining me in that effort,”
Read the Westminster Hall session in full.
