Home secretary rejects Welsh police powers in major reforms

The Home Secretary says a major overhaul of policing will not see the Welsh Parliament given powers to decide how the service is run.

Shabana Mahmood's stance comes as the Labour party remains split over whether Cardiff Bay politicians should have direct control of criminal justice.

First Minister Eluned Morgan called for the devolution of policing last Thursday in a speech which warned Westminster Labour to act now to prevent pro-independence parties dominating the Senedd.

Plaid Cymru said the House of Commons exchange exposed "deep divisions" and a "lack of coherence within Labour's ranks".

Mahmood's white paper, published on Tuesday, could see the number of forces in England and Wales cut by about two-thirds.

An independent review will look at which forces should merge. The Welsh Liberal Democrats warned against a single Welsh organisation, fearing it could worsen local policing.

In the Commons, Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville Roberts said three independent commissions had recommended justice and policing be devolved to Wales.

She asked the home secretary: "Does she not agree that this package of radical changes is exactly the right time for the devolution of policing to Wales?"

In a short reply, Shabana Mahmood said: "No, I do not."

The Labour-led Welsh government has for years called for policing and criminal justice powers to be devolved to the Senedd.

Advocates of that policy argue it would allow the Welsh government to set policies that were more aligned to Wales' existing health and education systems.

The Welsh government commission on justice in 2019 argued there was also "no rational basis" for Wales to be treated differently from Northern Ireland and Scotland, where policing is devolved.

Labour MPs have struck a different tone, however, with the now Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens saying in 2024 that problems with crime were too urgent to begin "fiddling" with policing powers.

Reform and the Conservatives are also opposed to the idea.

Last week, Eluned Morgan said Sir Keir Starmer's UK government should help stop pro-independence parties like Plaid Cymru and the Greens from forming a majority at the next Senedd election by giving Wales more powers.

"Yes, I want to see devolution of policing," she said in a speech, adding devolution of youth justice would be a "quick win".

A Welsh Labour MP told BBC Wales: "There is no way policing will be devolved. We may look at probation but that's about it."

They added that was especially the case "as we don't know who is in charge" after the Senedd elections in May.

The Home Office white paper says the UK government will speak to the Welsh government and Welsh forces as part of plans to replace police and crime commissioners.

The UK government wants to scrap the posts - which set local policing priorities and how they spend money - from 2028.

Local councils and English mayors will take on the job instead, while in Wales the Home Office says it will "engage" with Welsh ministers on the "desired governance end state for policing".

The White Paper triggered speculation that Wales' four forces could be merged into one.

Welsh Liberal Democrat MP David Chadwick said: "People in Wales want local, visible policing, officers who know their communities and can focus on the crimes that affect people day to day.

"A one-size-fits-all model risks pulling officers away from neighbourhoods, particularly in rural areas."

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the first minister said the changes to policing presented "significant opportunities to align policing with Wales' unique identity and geography", and to "reflect the make up of our communities".

Jeremy Vaughan, chief constable of Wales' largest force South Wales Police, said police mergers would only work "if we fundamentally invest in that local policing unit at the front end".

"Do I think that fewer police forces could be more efficient? Yes I do," he said, adding he would be "part of a discussion" to find the "best model for the people of Wales".

Amanda Blackman, chief constable at North Wales Police, said her force's region was "very much connected from a criminality perspective to my neighbouring forces in Merseyside and through Cheshire".

"Our population move, if you like, is more east to west, west to east than it is north to south," she added.

"So you know, for me, it's about understanding that."

Chief Constable Mark Hobrough of Gwent Police said: "My focus and that of my officers and staff remains on delivering an effective police service to keep the communities of Gwent safe."