Home Secretary, John Reid has realised he should concentrate on putting out the fires raging in his ramshackle department rather than lighting new ones by forcing through deeply unpopular police mergers. These crazy plans will be put on hold for at least a year.
I met the new Police Minister, Tony McNulty last week, to press the case for West Mercia to be upgraded to a strategic force rather than be merged into a regional force dominated by Birmingham. For the first time, a Home Office Minister seemed willing to listen and he has agreed to visit the force headquarters over the summer.
I have written to all parish and town councils to urge them to support West Mercia's case. A regional force would mean more closures of rural police stations as money and manpower are diverted to deal with crime hotspots in the cities.
The House of Lords also weighed in last week by backing a legal change which would stop Mr Reid forcing through mergers without any debate or vote in the House of Commons. This was another good example of the House of Lords supporting people power in the face of an over-mighty government.
Our police need to be accountable to local people - not some remote and insensitive regional bureaucracy.
