Given the underperformance of UK policing against what should be its core objective (the prevention, detection and solving of crime), and the recent attempts to utilise it for political ends by both the Conservative government (e.g. to curtail protestors and to drop the COVID 'partygate' investigations) and a Labour mayor (i.e. Sadiq Khan's 'no confidence' statement in the Met Commissioner), we believe that the force's position in the UK constitution is in need of re-confirmation and clarification.

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We therefore propose a new Policing Charter that clearly lays out the key responsibilities and priorities for UK Policing, and therefore, by exception, the areas where it should not be expected to intervene.

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Each priority would be outlined with reference to its social purpose and value, so that there is a hierarchy of types of crime and criminal behaviour that would inform how the police should respond, and how it allocates its resources.

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The Charter would also clearly outline the extent to which national and regional government can directly engage with and influence policing, which would be expected to be minimal.