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VIEWPOINT
In a new magazine feature, we asked Federation members for their views on a key topical
issue. It was announced at the latest meeting of the Police Federation’s Joint Branch Board
chairs and secretaries that at this year’s national conference, the Home Secretary Theresa
May would only answer questions submitted in advance of her keynote speech and that Tom
Winsor would not be answering questions about his two reports. Therefore, we asked some of
our members the questions they would put to the Home Secretary, Mr Winsor and the
Federation’s national chairman if they could.
Tom Cuddeford
Full-time Federation representative
Deputy chair of the JBB
25 years’ service
Theresa May: When your Government came
to power you said this country had the best
police service in the world and you would fully
support the police service. However, since this
time, your Government has systematically cut
the police budget and police numbers and
morale is at its lowest it has ever been. Do you
still consider us the best police service and
have you reneged on your promise of
supporting the police service
The Police Minister: Don’t you think security
should start at home Then why is the
Overseas Aid budget ring-fenced and
increasing, while cuts in policing mean less
officers protecting our communities
Tom Winsor: What are your thoughts on
providing PCSOs with more ‘powers’, similar
to the Office of Constable Is this just
policing on the cheap
The Federation chairman: What is your
vision of the Federation in five years and 10
years’ time
DC Brent Di Cesare
Economic Crime Team - Force CID
9 years’ service
I’m more than happy to provide plenty of
questions to the persons mentioned, however,
the main priority for myself and those
colleagues around my level of service is a
financial one. This “We’re in it together” myth
that circulates Government, the public and
even our own police service is becoming
rather insulting now so I think this is a very
relevant question to Theresa May, the Police
Minister, Tom Winsor and the Federation
chairman.
With the current divide and conquer
tactics working well within the police service
we now have a situation whereby a police
officer with nine years’ service who has faced
no generic public sector pay rise for two years,
no incremental pay rise for two years and
pension contribution increases for the two
years is in real terms down £500 a month.
That’s not a misprint, £500 a month!
With the Government announcing
minimal yearly pay increases of one per cent -
not even half of predicted inflation - and
further increment freezes, coupled with
further increases in pension contributions,
how exactly does this Government and the
Police Federation expect police officers to
survive when they are losing up to £700 a
month by 2015 And does it sit right with
them that they are inflicting health
threatening stress and anguish on those police
officers and effectively subjecting them to
financial ruin”
Pete Harkness
Wolverhampton
9 years’ service
Theresa May: You have stated you will always
back us and fight us, but I am yet to see any
evidence of that. I have had my pay
increments frozen for the nearly three years,
had my pension contributions increase twice
in two years and had my SPP removed from
me. Why am I, like other constables, being
attacked I understand that we all have to
make sacrifices in times of hardship but from
my perspective I feel like hard-working
constables are being attacked more than most.
Tell me, why should I trust you
The Police Minister: What are you going to
do to increase the morale in the police service
With all of the budget cuts, pay freezes,
increase in pension contributions, your officers
are feeling under-appreciated.
Tom Winsor: Your report has been deemed
by many to be the most destructive and
divisive review into British policing since
policing began. How are we meant to have
trust and confidence in you as our
inspectorate How can you, with little
knowledge of what a police officer actually
does, lead us into the future
The Federation chairman: Why did you,
without proper backing of your electorate,
order an independent review into the Police
Federation
Jason Wathes
Birmingham South
19 years’ service
The Federation chairman: What is the
Federation doing to push for forces to
produce accurate pension forecasts for those
affected by the pension changes My Force
tell me it’s ‘all up in the air, no one knows’.
Officers need to know what their lump sums
and likely pension will be. The pension
calculator is too vague and doesn’t show lump
sum. It has mortgage implications for many.
Continued on Page 16
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