Met chief Mark Rowley defends proposal for police forces to be merged

Evening Standard · By David Hughes · 2026-11-06 15:56 UTC

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner said the plans were the ‘opposite of Beeching’ – the culling of local rail services in the 1960s.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has defended his call to cut the number of police forces in England and Wales through mergers.

The Scotland Yard chief said his proposals, set out in a major speech were the “opposite of Beeching” – in reference to the “Beeching Axe” of local railway services in the 1960s.

In his speech, the Met chief said resources are being wasted financing 43 separate police forces and argued for eight to 10 larger regional forces, more able to tackle criminal gangs.

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