Starmer set to cop for another U-turn

THE ink hasn’t even dried on Labour's latest announcement and yet we can confidently predict it will result in another U-turn.

- Esther McVey

Keir Starmer’s latest disaster is to propose restructuring the police forces of England and Wales.The aim is to reduce the number of forces from 43 to 12, then add on top a new “National Police Service” to deal with counterterrorism, fraud and organised crime. Perhaps the PM is unaware that we already have the intelligence services — the Serious Fraud Office and the National Crime Agency to deal with those things.

This idea isn’t even new. It’s a rehash of a failed Tony Blair policy from 20 years ago. Labour went down this road in 2006 before performing a handbrake turn and chucking it in the dustbin.

According to Police Minister Sarah Jones, this major restructuring was needed because murder and serious crime have fallen whereas everyday low-level crimes are up. If that’s the case, why increase regional and national level forces?