Conservatives and the Constabulary in Great Britain: cross-dressing conundrums

Purpose This chapter is devoted to analysing the historical peculiarity of the contemporary British politics of policing. Methodology/approach Research is based on an analysis of policy statements and debates, news reports, and official statistics, in the light of historical studies of the earlier politics of policing. Findings The Conservative government’s police reform programme severely diminishes the resources, powers, status and independence of the police, reversing the Tory’s traditional unquestioning support of the police. The package is shown to reflect broader changes in political economy and culture under neoliberalism. Originality/value There has been no previous academic analysis bringing together the various aspects of the reform programme, contrasting it with previous historical understanding of the politics of policing, and linking it to broader contemporary change.