Met Police Mandate: Freemason Officers Must Declare Membership

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley has mandated that all officers must declare their membership in Freemasonry or any hierarchical organization with mutual support tenets. This decision arises from persistent fears that such affiliations could lead to corruption and undermine public confidence in the force's impartiality. The move signifies a significant shift in policy, addressing long-standing concerns that previous commissioners had not acted upon, partly due to potential internal friction.

Concerns about Freemasonry's influence within the Met have been present for years, with intelligence suggesting links to potential wrongdoing, though concrete proof has been elusive. A recent survey indicated that two-thirds of Met staff supported the restriction, emphasizing the need for transparency and public trust to take precedence over secrecy of membership organizations. The Freemasons' Grand Lodge has strongly opposed the mandate, calling it unwarranted and threatening legal challenges, citing their core values of integrity and respect.

The issue of Freemasonry in policing gained national attention following the inquiry into the 1987 murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan. The inquiry's 2021 report highlighted recurring suspicion and mistrust stemming from police officers' Freemason membership, noting instances where officers involved in the investigation were members. While the report did not find evidence of corrupt use of Masonic channels in that specific case, it recommended tighter rules for Freemasons in policing, reinforcing the need for greater accountability and transparency within the force.