Podcast Summary

The Peter McCormack Show – Episode #130

Guest: Peter Bleksley
Theme: The Government Have Surrendered the Streets
Date: November 21, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Peter McCormack (joined by his co-host Connor and additional commentators) interviews former undercover detective Peter Bleksley. The discussion delves into the state of policing in the UK, addressing the surge in street crime, the erosion of frontline policing, bureaucratic hurdles, and wider concerns about governance, social attitudes, and public trust. Bleksley openly critiques the direction of modern policing, the influence of academia and political correctness, and government policy, while offering reflections on British society and optimism for the future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crisis in British Policing & "Surrendered Streets"

• Resource Deficiencies & Crime Surge:
  Bleksley opens by expressing deep respect for frontline police, but laments their lack of street presence due to resource constraints. He argues this absence has led to a "plague of crime" with rampant knife and vehicle crime, deteriorating public safety.
  “The police will tell you they don’t have the resources to do that. And what we’ve got is the streets being surrendered.” (00:00)

• Public Event on Policing:
  Bleksley describes a recent high-level policing event in Bexley, attended by top Met Police brass, reflecting the seriousness with which the force claims to view community engagement. He praises the discipline and character of the young Metropolitan Police Cadet Corps.
  “Their shoes were bald to the point that you could use them as a shaving mirror.” (04:14)

2. Public Perception, Trust & Policing Tactics

• Disconnect and Disappointment:
  Attendees at the event, including Bleksley, voice frustration: people report crime less frequently because so little is done, and victims feel ignored.

  • A security worker’s story of violent encounters and lack of police response draws public applause, highlighting a sense of abandonment (08:00).

• “Normalization” of Everyday Crime:
  The hosts discuss their own experiences of frequent shoplifting, drug use, and theft in their communities, concluding there’s a growing public tolerance or resignation to low-level (“petty”) crime.
  “Bike theft is now decriminalized.” – Additional Commentator (17:10)
  Bleksley rejects the label “petty crime”—emphasizing the real impact on victims.

3. Historical vs. Modern Policing Approaches

• Lost Tradition of Community Policing:
  Bleksley gives a detailed comparison between the proactive, relationship-driven neighborhood policing of his early career and today’s performance-driven, bureaucratic environment.

  • Historic practice: officers patrolled on foot, gathered information, engaged directly, and followed up personally with victims.
  • Modern practice: Reactive, "paper-driven," lacking personal engagement or follow-through, hampered by bureaucracy and “academia.”
    “The effectiveness was not measurable … so what did policing do? They abandoned all of that kind of policing … Now, as a consequence, there’s a shoplifting epidemic, knife crime runs rampant, car crime, vehicle crime, all of that is off the Richter scale.” (10:27–14:12)

• Impact of Underreporting:
  “When crime stats get rolled out, we get a completely false picture ... About the only one you can trust is the murder rate.” (10:32)

4. The Influence of Academia & Political Correctness

• Academization of Policing:
  Bleksley traces changes back to Blair’s “education, education, education” ethos, leading to academic culture infiltrating police leadership and a shift towards quantifiable data and bureaucracy at the expense of practical common sense and communication skills.
  “Policing is in the grip of academia ... They came back with their heads full of pseudo-intellectual clap-trap, a lot of it which didn’t have a place in policing.” (22:24–24:01)

5. Gender, Diversity, and Police Cohesion

• Women in Policing:
  • Discusses public perceptions, roles, and challenges women face on the front lines, including stark examples of assaults. Bleksley emphasizes that communication and resilience matter more than physical strength, and the best police—of any gender—are those who excel at both.
    “It’s not always about whether you can land a right hander ... A lot of the time it’s about common sense, communication ... diffusing a situation.” (28:26)

6. Frontline Constraints & Bureaucratic Hurdles

• “Plaster on an Open Wound”:
  Bleksley shares recent ride-alongs where police could only provide temporary fixes, constantly being pulled to new cases, unable to “grip” problems at the root due to overload and shortage of resources.
  “They would apply a temporary fix rather than really gripping a situation … All of that there was, for me, a fundamental lack of grip.” (31:39)

• Prosecution Difficulties:
  Police face growing procedural obstacles in prosecuting even straightforward shoplifting or organized crime cases, due to red tape and legal standards of evidence.
  “Any experienced, pragmatic detective will tell you, there’s a whole world of difference between knowing and proving.” (33:42)

7. Oversight, Politicization & The PCC Debate

• Abolishing the PCC (Police and Crime Commissioner):
  Both host and guest mock the political bureaucracy around police oversight, expressing skepticism that cost-savings from scrapping PCCs will reach frontline policing.
  “It was a daft idea ... just a ludicrous idea. Of course, before that … you had local police authorities ... The trouble is … people cozy up.” (46:05–49:41)

• Need for Real Accountability by "Real People":
  Bleksley advocates for robust, sometimes “prickly,” civilian oversight but worries about the dominance of political and establishment insiders instead.
  “You don’t get real people on these committees … they're always sops.” (49:41)

8. Broader Societal Critique: “The Pendulum Swung Left”

• Softening of Society, Rise of Bureaucracy & Victimhood:
  There’s a sense that public service, politics, and society at large have become “soft,” dominated by performative HR culture, grievance procedures, and a lack of personal responsibility.
  “Since 1997, when Blair started off with his political correctness campaign ... the pendulum swung and swung and swung to the left.” (55:32)
  “We are undoubtedly far too fluffy as a nation than we ever used to be ... those kind of things have gone.” (68:45)

• Work Ethic and Young People:
  Despite critiques of "softness," Bleksley acknowledges the challenges facing younger generations, including lack of entry-level jobs and the offshoring of positions due to cost pressures and government interference.

9. Immigration, Integration, and National Identity

• Metropolitan Change & Nostalgia:
  Bleksley voices concern over rapid demographic shifts, the rise of extreme ideology, and the difficulty of integration, advocating for a renewed focus on British values and social cohesion (90:33–96:19).

• British Values and Manners:
  Cites lost traditions, such as civility on public transport or the concept of “manners maketh man,” as elements worth preserving.

10. The Search for Optimism

• Despite deep pessimism about current governance, Bleksley expresses hope for “common sense” returning and is encouraged by the resilience and talent of many young people.
  “I am ... a sort of sickeningly optimistic kind of bloke ... this once wonderful nation is worth fighting for.” (88:41–90:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the State of Street Policing:
  “What we've got is the streets being surrendered and this plague of crime ... runs rampant ... making this place a worse place to live.” – Peter Bleksley, (00:00/21:11)

• On Public Trust:
  “Consequently you think the police don't give a shit and you don't give a shit about them.” – Peter Bleksley, (45:14)

• On Bureaucracy & Academia:
  “They came back with their heads full of pseudo-intellectual clap-trap, a lot of it which didn’t have a place in policing.” – Peter Bleksley, (24:24)

• On Crime Prevention:
  “If the police were visible, known, contactable ... I think they would therefore become trusted and be far more likely to receive information.” – Peter Bleksley, (06:21)

• On "Petty Crime":
  “There is no such thing in my book as petty crime ... It is a very serious matter in your life.” – Peter Bleksley, (17:13)

• On Progress:
  “Can you think of anything that's got better in the last 20 years ... courtesy of the government?” – Connor, (77:12–77:21)
  “I might need a very, very long time to think about this.” – Peter Bleksley, (77:21)

• On Political Leadership Today:
  “Is that the best we've got out of 70 million people? Do me a favor.” – Peter Bleksley, (84:20)

• On Optimism:
  “There's a lot of very bright, smart young people out there ... this once wonderful nation is worth fighting for.” – Peter Bleksley, (88:41–90:33)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00 – Opening: Bleksley on respect for frontline officers & "surrendered streets"
• 04:14 – Praise for Police Cadets & discipline
• 08:00–10:27 – Event Q&A, stories of crime ignored by police
• 13:00–15:30 – History of community policing vs. bureaucratic policing, public trust
• 17:13 – "No such thing as petty crime"
• 22:12 – Academia's influence, Blair years
• 28:26 – Gender, resilience, and policing complexity
• 31:39 – "Stick in plaster" policing—temporary fixes over real solutions
• 37:47–45:14 – Loss of public confidence and underreporting cycle
• 46:05–49:41 – PCC abolition, overspending on bureaucracy, political meddling
• 55:32–58:23 – Political correctness, pendulum "swung left," HR/benefits/cultural change
• 64:31–68:03 – Youth unemployment, job outsourcing, and the work ethic debate
• 68:45–73:12 – "Gone soft," national character, energy policy, climate change
• 77:12–78:01 – "Can you think of anything that's got better?" (Elizabeth Line cited)
• 88:41–90:33 – Bleksley’s optimism and closing thoughts on national identity

Conclusion

This episode is a blisteringly candid, contrarian call for the revival of traditional policing values, greater public accountability, and a rejection of the bureaucratic, academic, and political trends beleaguering British society. While critical of government and institutional inertia, Bleksley tempers his frustration with hope—rooted in his faith in young people and his belief that Britain's core decency can endure. The conversation is grounded in personal anecdotes, historical context, and a no-nonsense, nostalgic tone that challenges listeners to reconsider both policing and the direction of society.