Police leadership in England and Wales faces major overhaul, report says

Chief constable jobs regularly attract only a single suitable candidate. The Police Leadership Commission, set up by the College of Policing with Home Office support in October 2025 and led by Lord David Blunkett and Lord Nick Herbert of South Downs, called for a fundamental overhaul of how policing in England and Wales attracts, recruits, develops, appoints and supports its leaders.

Leadership was not consistently strong enough to provide confidence and trust, and the current system was too weak and fragmented to meet future challenges. The review found that almost a third of the police service has less than five years’ service, and fewer than half of candidates currently pass an outdated sergeant exam.

Resource scarcity, excessive paperwork and conduct processes often hamper officers and staff, and policing as a whole has suffered from decades of underinvestment in leadership development. Central funding for leadership training should be restored on a footing closer to public services such as the military and the NHS.

The review follows scandals including the murder of Sarah Everard by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens in 2021 and the offensive comments made by officers at Charing Cross police station captured in an undercover investigation.

Lord Blunkett said the exercise was meant to provide a blueprint for police leadership and that “the culture must change.” Its recommendations include nationally accredited training for all new constables, a new senior constable rank, refreshed promotion processes across all ranks, a new sergeant qualification, a leadership competency passport for future chief constables, a central appointments panel and a National Academy of Police Leadership.