Collared Over Police Reforms

摘要

It is a sure sign of a government's vulnerability when it starts to listen. In Westminster, the U-turn was seen as a weakness long before Margaret Thatcher told the world the lady's not for turning'. But local government has been the big beneficiary of home secretary Jacqui Smith's sensible volte-face over plans to introduce direct elections for police authorities. In the current political and economic climate - with Labour compelled to announce a general election date, despite the looming recession - Ms Smith's decision last month to ditch the unpopular election plan augurs well for Whitehall's campaign to keep community leaders onside as the downturn bites. It was classic Westminster chutzpah - the Home Office, happy to suffer short-term 'harrumph-ing' from Opposition MPs in favour of being seen to listen to local leaders who, after all, are currently appointed to lead the 43 police authorities across England and Wales.