## Notes from 07 February 2026 [[2026-02-06|← Previous note]] ┃ [[2026-02-08|Next note →]] I’ve just read a very interesting article by [[Stephen Webb]] titled "[Police Reform: One More Unto the Breach Dear Friends](https://sfhwebb.substack.com/p/police-reform-one-more-unto-the-breach)", published on January 30, 2026, in his Substack. Before diving into the piece, it is worth noting who Webb is: a former high-ranking civil servant who joined the service in 1991, working on the Good Friday Agreement at the Northern Ireland Office and later leading major law enforcement and border projects. Previously Head of Government Reform at [[Policy Exchange]] and now Director of Programme at [[Fix Britain]] and a recipient of [[Emergent Ventures]] funding for his work on state reform, Webb has become a prominent voice for [[Civil Service Neutrality]]. In this specific post, Webb provides a critique of the Home Office’s paper, _[From Local to National](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/from-local-to-national-a-new-model-for-policing)_. While he is a proponent of reform, he remains skeptical of "merger mania". Drawing on his experience with the 2006 police reform efforts, he argues that the drive for consolidation often ignores the practical realities of delivery. The Labour government’s current plan moves away from the "[[Open Public Services]]" model of the Cameron era, which focused on local accountability through elected [[Cameron Police Reforms|Police and Crime Commissioners]]. The new strategy aims to consolidate the 43 territorial forces into a smaller number of regional units and merge the National Crime Agency with Counter-Terrorism into a new **National Police Service**. Webb argues that the "economies of scale" promised by Whitehall are often a "delusion". He notes that smaller forces like Cumbria and North Yorkshire maintain higher public confidence than large metropolitan forces, which frequently face challenges. His analysis challenges the idea that centralization is always path to capacity. He points out that merging IT systems and aligning varying contract terms usually increases costs and creates more rigid structures (referencing the merger of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office/FCO and the Department for International Development/DFID as an example where staff numbers actually grew after consolidation). By suggesting there is an "optimal size" for accountability, he counters the narrative that executive centralization is a solution for fiscal or operational issues. His conclusion is that instead of shifting organizational boundaries, reform should address the "ballooning paperwork" and procedural requirements that keep officers off the streets.