A damning new report set for release Monday will call for a "fundamental overhaul" of police leadership in England and Wales, with former Home Secretary Lord David Blunkett warning the service is "not good enough" and in urgent need of an "ethical reset." Speaking exclusively to the BBC's *Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg*, Blunkett revealed that the review—co-authored with former Conservative policing minister Lord Herbert for the College of Policing—identifies systemic failures in leadership, morale, and culture that have eroded public trust.
The report, commissioned amid declining confidence in policing, comes as a staggering eight current or former chief constables—out of just 43 forces—face disciplinary action or await the outcome of investigations. "At the moment, the service isn't good enough," Blunkett said. "The morale and motivation of many of those working in the service needs a reset." He added that evidence gathered during the review pointed to "a very large number of those at senior level who have been or are under investigation," underscoring a crisis of accountability.
None of the 43 police forces in England and Wales received an "outstanding" rating for leadership in the most recent inspection round. Nearly a third were rated as needing improvement, and two were deemed "inadequate." The report will recommend a "root and branch modernisation" of recruitment, development, and monitoring, targeting challenges including scarce resources, excessive paperwork, and a "demotivated" workforce stifled by overly risk-averse leadership cultures.
The revelations come amid heated political debate over "two-tier policing"—a term used by some politicians, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, to allege that police treat ethnic minorities more favorably than white people. Farage recently linked this to the controversial handling of the murder of Henry Nowak, a teenager arrested as he lay dying after his killer falsely accused him of racism. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has rejected such claims, accusing Farage of exploiting the tragedy. Blunkett declined to directly address the charge, but the report's focus on ethical leadership suggests the service must rebuild impartiality and trust from the top down.
As the College of Policing prepares to release the full findings on Monday, the call for an ethical reset signals a pivotal moment. With public confidence in policing at a low ebb and multiple senior figures under scrutiny, the path forward demands not just reforms but a cultural transformation—one that restores integrity, morale, and accountability to a service under siege.