Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Police and Crime Commissioners (Accountability and Review) 2025-10-15

15 October 2025 · 3 other contributors

Opened by Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington

Policing & ResourcesCrime & Law Enforcement

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Matt Western raised concerns about police and crime commissioners (accountability and review) 2025-10-15 in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about rising crime and disorder across communities in the UK.
  • The public feels helpless and unsure about who to turn to for assistance regarding local policing issues.
  • Criticism of police and crime commissioners for not adequately serving their communities.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington

My constituents are worried about crime and disorder across their communities. It is the same for a great many colleagues, if not the vast majority. For years now, they have seen a rise in crime, be it anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhoods, crime on their high streets, or, in more extreme cases, violence. Those concerns really matter; people deserve to be listened to and taken seriously by the police. I am pleased that this Government are taking action, with the Crime and Policing Bill making massive strides to protect our communities. However, it will take time to reverse the impact of the original cuts to police numbers and the erosion of experience over the previous 14 years. The problem is that the public feel helpless: they feel that no one is listening to them and they do not know who to turn to, who to talk to and who is responsible for the police in their area. That brings me to the purpose of my Bill: that too often, police and crime commissioners have not delivered for their communities.

Other contributors (3)
  • Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington

    My constituents are worried about crime and disorder across their communities. For years now, they have seen a rise in crime, be it anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhoods, crime on their high streets, or, in more extreme cases, violence. The public feel helpless: they do not know who to turn to, who to talk to and who is responsible for the police in their area. I argue that PCCs need to be replaced and reformed with police and crime panels while the wider devolution process takes place. However, first, we must look back 15 years to the changes introduced by the then incoming Government and their promise to bring “democratic control over policing” through the creation of PCCs. Today, how many of our constituents can name their PCC? Indeed, how many know what a PCC is? Many would say that the promises of that original Bill have not been delivered and that we need to amend these shortcomings for the sake of our constituents.

  • Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington

    Back in 2012, the first PCC elections were held. Turnout in the first election was just 15%, making it the lowest-ever turnout for a peacetime national election. The Home Affairs Committee said that the PCC approach faced “a number of challenges”, including lack of public awareness and relationship issues between PCCs and chief constables. The Committee noted considerable variability in relative performance between PCCs across the country, and that there was limited funding and formal powers for police and crime panels to hold PCCs accountable.

  • Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington

    Across the country, we see examples of PCCs failing constituents. In Warwickshire, there were allegations of a cover-up between Warwickshire hunt, Warwickshire police, and the police and crime commissioner. The PCC claimed he did not have the information and withheld it from me and the police and crime panel. The costs of the PCC and his office in 2023-24 were £1,175,000. That is just for one year. Across England and Wales, the total budget for the 41 commissioners is just shy of £50 million. Given this context, I argue that it is time to change the system and do away with police and crime commissioners.

▸ Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy