Police leadership requires fundamental overhaul, landmark review warns
A major independent review of police leadership has warned that policing in England and Wales faces a profound leadership challenge which can no longer be ignored.
The Police Leadership Commission, set up with the support of the Home Office, concludes that leadership in policing is not consistently of a high enough standard to provide confidence and trust in delivering the service the public deserves.
While the review, led by Lord (David) Blunkett and Lord (Nick) Herbert of South Downs, highlights many examples of outstanding police leadership it found overall that the system for identifying, developing and supporting leaders is too weak and fragmented to meet the challenges ahead.
It calls for a reset in police leadership culture towards high-performance, cutting crime and keeping people safe.
The Commission says reform is needed to enable the police service to operate in what is an increasingly complex, scrutinised, and highly contested environment and to prepare for future challenges as rapid changes to society fundamentally alter the nature of crime and crime fighting.
Areas of concern highlighted by the Commission are:
A lack of leadership support for frontline officers, where almost a third of the service has less than five years' service.
A postcode lottery system of promotion with some officers raising concerns around perceptions of fairness, nepotism, and favouritism around stepping stones such as temporary promotions.
A narrow talent pool at the top of policing, where chief constable roles regularly attract a single suitable candidate.
Limited investment compared with the scale of the challenge facing the service.
The review describes a collective failure by both policing and successive governments to invest sufficient time, resources and attention to police leadership development over decades. It calls for central funding for this to be restored in line with other public services such as the military and NHS.
The Commission’s recommendations include:
Reformed recruitment and nationally accredited training for all new constables - ending disparities in how officers are prepared for one of the most complex frontline roles in the public sector.
A new senior constable rank to reward and recognise experienced frontline officers who provide leadership, mentor colleagues and role-model standards.
Refreshed promotion processes across all ranks, and a new sergeant qualification to replace an outdated exam that fewer than half of candidates currently pass.
Urgent action to build a credible pipeline of future chief constables, assessed against a verifiable passport of leadership competency and performance – and a central panel for appointments.
A National Academy of Police Leadership to provide consistent, high-quality development across forces and support a stronger candidate pipeline.
A new leadership fast stream – the largest talent scheme ever introduced into policing – to develop high-potential officers, police staff and those joining from outside policing to become senior police officers.
Lord Blunkett said: “Over the last nine months, we have heard extensive evidence of the best and the worst of police leadership. We've had recognition of outstanding examples of those who have transformed delivery to the public on one hand, but, in some cases, extraordinarily worrying evidence requiring profound change on the other.
“In thanking all those who have given evidence and contributed to this enquiry, and the excellent experience and wisdom of Commissioners, I know that the Home Secretary and her team will want to dovetail our recommendations with the forthcoming police reform legislation”.
College of Policing chair, Lord Herbert of South Downs, said: “If policing is to rebuild public trust, raise standards and meet the challenges of the future, leadership must now become a priority, properly funded, consistently developed and treated as a core operational capability.
“The reforms we set out are intended to support frontline officers and reset police leadership culture towards high performance around what matters most: cutting crime and keeping people safe.”
Notes
Read the executive summary of the report here, the list of recommendations here and the full report here.
Read Nick’s article in The Times here.
The independent Police Leadership Commission was set up in October 2025. Evidence was heard from a wide range of influential sources, a survey of almost 2,000 sergeants and inspectors, expert roundtable discussions and over 400 responses to our open call for evidence
Other Commission members included Temporary Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, Gloucestershire Police; William Bratton CBE, former Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department and Police Commissioner of New York City; Peter Cheese, former CEO of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD); Major General Nick Cowley OBE, Commandant Royal Military Academy Sandhurst; Emeritus Professor Jean Hartley, Open University; Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes QPM, Metropolitan Police; Julia Mulligan, Senior Independent Director for the Independent Office of Police Conduct; Grace Ononiwu CBE, Director General Legal Delivery of the Crown Prosecution Service; Kate Steadman, private sector strategy and transformation specialist; Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson QPM, Greater Manchester Police.
This report has reviewed policing in England and Wales only, and not the British Transport Police, the Ministry of Defence Police, or the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.