Nearly half the country no longer trusts the police to deal with crime. For a service built on the principle of policing by consent, that should set alarm bells ringing. A recent YouGov survey found that 49% of the British public have little or no confidence in the police, up from 39% in 2019. A Labour government cannot rebuild Britain without rebuilding trust in the institutions that keep us safe.
Since the formation of the Metropolitan Police in 1839, policing by consent has been a cornerstone of British democracy. The police derive their legitimacy not from force, but from the trust and goodwill of the public. In return, they are tasked with keeping us safe. This contract between citizens and state reflects a principle that is at the core of the Labour Party: legitimacy of those in power lies in the hands of the people.
But that trust is fraying. Decades of institutional failure - from Hillsborough to the infected blood scandal and the Post Office injustice - have eroded faith in the very institutions meant to protect us. High-profile cases of police misconduct, including Wayne Couzens and David Carrick, have horrified the nation. And investigations like BBC Panorama’s recent exposé continue to reveal racism, misogyny and abuse of power within police ranks.
At the same time, 14 years of Conservative underinvestment hollowed out local forces. Police officers are now stretched thin, responding to an increasingly broad and complex set of social issues that they were never trained to solve. Police stations have closed, workloads have grown and public confidence has declined. The Tories’ austerity experiment fractured the bond between citizens and the state.
These challenges are immense - but they are not insurmountable. Labour has a unique opportunity to redefine policing for the 21st century: rebuilding trust through fairness, professionalism, and shared responsibility for community safety. That means two things:
A Holistic Model for Community Safety
Rebuilding trust starts with redefining the role of the police - and recognising where other professionals are better placed to lead. The police should focus on crime prevention, investigation, public order, and protecting vulnerable people. But they cannot - and should not - be expected to solve every social problem.
Mental health professionals, social workers, and local authorities must be empowered to take on a greater role in keeping communities safe. Initiatives like Right Care, Right Person are a step in the right direction, diverting mental health calls away from police and towards health professionals. But Labour should go further – for instance, by expanding Section 136 of the Mental Health Act so designated health professionals, not just police officers, can respond to crises and bring individuals to places of safety.
We also need better collaboration between agencies. In places like Rochdale, where I’ve previously worked, police officers co-locate with council enforcement teams and social workers under one roof. Labour should champion these integrated models and, where necessary, provide funding to local councils so that they can set these up.
International examples offer inspiration. In New York, Democratic mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has proposed a Department of Community Safety to unify agencies tackling violence, addiction, and hate crime. Labour should explore similar models here, creating a shared mission for safety that transcends organisational boundaries.
Technology can help too. Smarter data-sharing between local authorities and police forces would enable faster, more joined-up responses. A review of GDPR constraints is needed to allow seamless integration of systems via APIs. Emerging technologies like Generative AI could assist call handlers by synthesising real-time information and recommending the best mix of responders. Used ethically, these tools could make policing more responsive, transparent and trusted.
Reforming Police Pay Structures
Policing is one of the most demanding professions in public life. Officers must master criminal law, make split-second decisions under pressure, and show deep empathy to victims. They don’t have a normal job - they hold the office of constable, entrusted with immense power and discretion by the state.
Yet pay structures fail to reflect the skill, responsibility, and scrutiny the role demands. Detectives, for example, receive the same pay as regular constables, despite undergoing months of additional training to investigate serious and complex crimes.
Reforming police pay isn’t just about fairness - it’s about enhancing professionalism. Labour should commit to a significant uplift in base pay and greater pay differentiation across specialist roles. This would reward professionalism, attract a more diverse workforce, and help modern policing meet new types of demand.
Higher pay would also allow for more rigorous vetting. With a larger, higher calibre pool of applicants, forces could raise standards and reject candidates unfit for the responsibility the role entails. A better paid, well vetted, and highly skilled police service would restore pride in the profession and rebuild trust on which policing by consent depends.
Towards a Renewed Social Contract
A properly resourced, well-trained police service working hand in hand with communities could transform not only policing, but how safe people feel in their communities.
If Labour can lead that transformation – creating a new model for community safety and valuing those who serve – we can begin to restore one of Britain’s most enduring democratic principles: policing by consent.
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Steve Hutchinson (@stevehutch_lab) is a former police officer and detective in Greater Manchester. He now works with public safety organisations to implement new technology which helps keep the public safe. He's passionate about helping Labour deliver the transformational change that is so needed, and writes about progressive politics in his blog, lagora.co.uk.
All blog posts represent the views of the author alone and not necessarily those of Mainstream.
