Long arm of law reaches ministers

Jan 24 2008 by William Green, The Journal

MINISTERS were yesterday directly challenged over police pay by 22,500 officers staging an unprecedented mass protest in London.

Up to 400 officers from Northumbria and 120 from Durham travelled to take part in the demonstration over Home Secretary Jacqui Smith’s refusal to backdate a 2.5% deal to September and instead begin it last month.

Off-duty officers from across the country began the protest with a march that stretched for a half-mile as its snaked from Hyde Park to Westminster yesterday lunchtime.

Officers also sought to lobby their MPs, while Police Federation chairman Jan Berry presented a petition at 10 Downing Street and met the Home Secretary after a rally of 3,500 officers in Westminster.

North-East officers expressed their anger and spoke of low morale and heavier workloads for less reward overall.

PC Mick Broadhead, a Newcastle traffic officer with 21 years’ service, said: “It is horrendous what the Government is doing, not backdating the pay rise to try and save them a few quid.”

Northumbria Police Federation chairman Russ Watson said: “I have got 28 years’ service and I never expected to have to participate in a demonstration against the Home Secretary in this manner.

“You have seen the volume of officers who have turned up today. Feelings are running high.”

Chairman of Durham Police Federation, Andy Metcalfe, said: “We are demonstrating our disgust and contempt with Home Secretary Jacqui Smith over the way we have been treated.”

Veteran Labour politician Tony Benn backed the action as he saw the march start at Hyde Park, where officers were jeered by a small group of anarchist counter-protesters. Speaking to The Journal, Mr Benn said: “It is grossly unfair to ask the police to experience a cut in living standards when they are in the front line against crime and terrorism, and I think the public will support them.”

The action came as Gordon Brown was forced to defend the pay award, which was backdated for officers in Scotland.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, he said: “There has been a 39% rise in police pay over the last 10 years. I think people do understand that in the fight against inflation it was necessary to stage public sector pay awards.”

The Prime Minister insisted he would have liked to give more to police and other public sector workers, but said any benefit of pay rises would be wiped out unless inflation was kept under control.

A Home Office spokeswoman said Ms Smith had begun discussions with the Police Federation – which represents rank and file officers – about future settlements and would meet the organisation to discuss a multi-year pay deal.

She maintained such deals would bring greater certainty and said the Government was grateful for police officers’ vital work, but any pay deals had to be affordable.

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Officers call on judges for help

THE Police Federation is seeking a judicial review of the decision not to backdate officers’ pay awards, it emerged yesterday.

The organisation said it had filed the application after the Government went against the recommendation of an independent arbitration panel.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith introduced the pay rise from last month rather than backdating it to September, which the Police Federation says effectively reduced the increase from 2.5% to 1.9%.

North MPs have criticised ministers for failing to accept the full recommendations of the Police Arbitration Tribunal’s pay award, and they demand it be backdated to September.

Federation members are also to be balloted on whether they should seek the right to take industrial action, currently banned under the law.

Federation chairman Jan Berry said the body would lobby for legislation that would remove the Home Secretary’s ability to reject independent pay recommendations. The arbitration panel could also be given a remit to consider wider economic issues, such as inflation, she suggested.

The developments come after the Conservatives unveiled proposals that would require any future government to have explicit Commons approval to overturn any arbitration police pay ruling.