Reform UK has unveiled plans to “tear up” the present “diversity-obsessed policing system” by scrapping the College of Policing and hiring 30,000 new police officers. Nigel Farage’s party would introduce a “total ban” on diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) policies in policing and “axe structures set up solely to advance equality of outcome”.
A Reform UK Government would remove DEI-related modules from training materials and “race action plans” would be forbidden. These pledges come alongside promises for stronger policing in areas plagued by antisocial behaviour with “guaranteed foot patrols”.
Anti-terror overhaul and stop-and-search expansion
Reform also wants to overhaul the anti-terror Prevent programme to “focus on Islamist terrorism and mandate home searches in cases of repeat referrals”. Under its plan: “Where an individual is referred by three separate corroborating authorities, they will automatically and without exception be subject to a thorough physical search of their homes.”
The measures are part of Reform’s SAFE plan, focussing on “Safety, Antisocial behaviour, Functioning institutions and Equal enforcement”.
Colin Sutton, a former detective chief inspector who is Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “We’re prioritising the safety of Brits with a massive expansion of stop-and-search powers and 30,000 more officers on the street. We’ll come down hard on antisocial disorder, banning balaclavas and cracking down on nuisances like illegal e-bikes. We’re intent on having functioning institutions, ending early release for serious criminals and ensuring that our brave police officers are protected from woke outfits like the College of Policing. We will doggedly pursue equal enforcement; DEI will be ripped out of British policing.”
Reaction from Conservatives and Home Office
Mr Sutton claimed the proposals were “practical and common sense answers” which drew on the expertise of people who have a “track record of success in bringing even the most hardened criminals to justice”. Earlier this year the Policy Exchange think tank estimated that police and crime commissioners and forces have spent £631million on DEI initatives since 2020.
Reform wants a “saturation of stop-and-search in crime hotspots” alongside the “restoration of short sentences”, fast-track courts for repeat offenders and 12,000 new prison places.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp responded, saying: “The Conservatives have a fully funded and credible plan to hire 10,000 more police and build 50,000 more prison places. We will abolish non crime hate incidents so the police catch criminals, not harass people for what they put on social media. We will hotspot patrol high crime areas, triple stop and search and use live facial recognition to catch criminals. We will make sure prolific and dangerous offenders end up where they belong – in prison.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are delivering the biggest reforms to policing in over 200 years, including bringing the College of Policing into the National Police Service to ensure consistent standards across the board. The National Police Service will have a clear mandate and powers to get things done, focus on protecting their communities and make the public safer. We have already committed to delivering 13,000 additional neighbourhood officers into communities blighted by antisocial behaviour by 2029. In the first year of this pledge, more than 3,800 extra personnel are in these roles across England and Wales.”
