Government will scrap PCCs in England and Wales by 2028

If you live in England or Wales, you won’t be asked to vote for a Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) again after this term. The government says it will abolish PCCs at the end of the current cycle in 2028, redirecting at least £20m a year into neighbourhood policing and labelling the model a “failed experiment”. Ministers put the total saving at a minimum of £100m over this Parliament, enough for roughly 320 extra constables according to their estimate, with the Home Secretary confirming the plan on 13 November 2025. The same announcement was set out to MPs by the policing minister. We’ll explain what that means for you, your local force, and your vote.

First, a quick refresher. PCCs were created in 2012 to set police priorities, agree the annual budget (including the council tax “precept”), and appoint or dismiss the chief constable. Today there are 37 elected PCCs; in a handful of areas a mayor already holds those powers, and the City of London is overseen by the Common Council. That mix is why you may see different job titles on ballot papers depending on where you live.

What changes in 2028 is who you hold to account. Under the plan, your police governance will move to an elected mayor where possible, or to your council leader supported by a new Police and Crime Board. The Home Office says services for victims and witnesses funded by PCCs should continue without interruption. Ministers also say Wales will get a tailored arrangement that recognises existing devolution.

About the money: the Home Office projects at least £20m a year from cutting governance costs, plus wider savings that bring the total to £100m over the Parliament. It argues this could fund around 320 officers nationally. The current PCC terms will simply run out and, rather than holding fresh PCC elections in 2028, the responsibilities would transfer to mayors or councils at that point.

Why change a system designed to boost accountability? Ministers point to low public engagement: fewer than one in four voters turned out in the 2024 PCC elections, and official polling suggests two in five people don’t even know PCCs exist. If you struggled to explain the role to a friend, you’re not alone.

Reactions split along familiar lines. The government says putting policing under mayors or councils strengthens accountability and frees up cash for the front line. The Conservative shadow home secretary calls it “tinkering around the edges”, while the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners warns of an “accountability vacuum” if directly elected PCCs disappear. Rank‑and‑file officers’ representatives at the Police Federation welcome abolition and describe PCCs as an expensive model that hasn’t worked.

If you’re in London, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, or York and North Yorkshire, your mayor already carries PCC powers, often via a deputy mayor for policing. Day to day, your set‑up already looks like what ministers want to extend elsewhere. The City of London remains a special case, with oversight by the Corporation’s Common Council.

So what does this mean for your civic voice? From 2028, you’ll scrutinise your mayor or council leader on policing choices instead of a stand‑alone PCC. Expect a new local Police and Crime Board to help shape the police and crime plan and monitor performance. For students and teachers, it’s worth updating notes now: the accountability route changes, but public engagement still matters-local consultations on priorities and the policing element of council tax will remain key touchpoints.

There’s more to come. The Home Office trails a Police Reform White Paper that will set out national standards, a new National Centre of Policing, and a performance unit. Some reporting also flags potential structural tweaks-like tackling mismatches between force and local authority boundaries-which could affect how smoothly powers transfer. We’ll keep an eye on the detail as it lands so you can teach and study it with confidence.

One final note for Wales: ministers say there are no plans to create new mayors just to make the model fit, and they’ll work with the Welsh Government on the handover. If you vote in Wales, look out for local updates on whether your council leader will take on the role and how community voices will be built into the new board.