Policing Minister tells Essex MPs 'forced mergers are off the agenda'

This morning, Policing Minister, Tony McNulty MP, gave an assurance to a delegation of Essex MPs that the forced merger of police forces was 'off the agenda' and would no longer go ahead.This morning, Policing Minister, Tony McNulty MP, gave an assurance to a delegation of Essex MPs that the forced merger of police forces was 'off the agenda' and would no longer go ahead. This follows a concerted cross-party campaign by 15 of the 17 Essex Members of Parliament including Andrew Mackinlay (Labour), Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat) and all of the Conservative MPs in the county, to oppose the unpopular and expensive proposal to merge the Essex police force with those of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

As well as seeking an assurance from Tony McNulty that the merger was off, the MPs also discussed how the forces in East Anglia could cooperate positively to fight tasks such as terrorism, whilst retaining their own separate identities and chief constables. This proved to be a very constructive dialogue and the Minister offered, in principle, to meet with the MPs again later this year if necessary, to discuss how such enhanced cooperation would work in practice.

Brooks said, "There has been overwhelming support throughout Essex for retaining the Essex Police as a single force. I am delighted that the Minister has responded to public opinion and to the year-long campaign by Essex MPs by confirming that this misconceived merger has been scrapped once-and-for-all. I also welcomed the Minister's productive approach to the future of cooperation between police forces and his recognition that closer cooperation will not require merger."

Photo:Essex MPs outside the Home Office this morning, prior to their meeting with Policing Minister, Tony McNulty MP