Register membership of organisations like Freemasons
All police officers and police staff should be obliged to register in confidence with the Chief Officer of their police force, at either their point of recruitment to the police force or at any point subsequent to their recruitment, their membership of any organisation, including the Freemasons, which might call their impartiality into question or give rise to the perception of a conflict of loyalties.
How was this evidence gathered?
Response
Accepted in Part
Response
Accepted in PartThere were concerns about Freemasonry, and the potential for conflicts of loyalty among Freemasons who were also police officers, in the initial investigations. The report itself accepted that membership of the Freemasons was not a factor in Daniel's murder. However, policing still needs to consider how it registers potential conflicts of interest. There is currently a lack of evidence to suggest that legislation would resolve this issue, with policing partners undertaking an exercise to assess conflicts of interest between officers and organisations which could affect officers' impartiality. This will continue to be reviewed as part of the updating of the counter-corruption APP in 2023, and as further potential conflicts for officers are identified.
Progress Timeline
Government effectively not accepting this recommendation. While technically "accepted in principle", the response indicates no legislative or regulatory action will be taken - only ongoing monitoring/review.
Published Evidence
Published assessments of progress from inspectorates, select committees, official progress reports, and other sources. Source type badge indicates whether each assessment is independent or government self-reported.
The government initially said there was a 'lack of evidence to suggest that legislation would resolve this issue.' However, on 11 December 2025, the MPS announced that officers and staff must declare membership of hierarchical organisations with confidential membership, explicitly including Freemasonry. Two-thirds of respondents to a consultation felt such memberships affect public perception of impartiality. The United Grand Lodge of England has launched legal action (judicial review) against the Met. This policy applies only to the Met -- it is not a national requirement for all forces.
View detailed findings
The MPS implemented this for its own officers in December 2025 but it is not a national requirement. The policy faces legal challenge from the Freemasons. The government declined to legislate nationally.