Home Secretary ‘ignored’ outstanding police work

HOME Secretary Theresa May was “disappointing, highly selective and negative” in her speech to the Police Federation of England and Wales’ annual conference.

Jim Gray, Chairman of Northumbria Police Federation, said her speech was designed to “justify the ongoing idealogically driven attempts to re-design both our service and our Federation” rather than focus on the “outstanding” work of police officers.

Mrs May criticised the Federation over its use of funds, the Hillsborough disaster and its response to domestic violence cases.

Mr Gray said: “Unsurprisingly, we listened to yet another disappointing, highly selective, anachronistic, and negative presentation of the work of the British Police and the Police Federation by the Home Secretary.

“This was undoubtedly to justify the ongoing idealogically driven attempts to re-design both our service and our Federation.

“The outstanding day-to-day work of rank and file Police Officers was simply not given sufficient recognition.

“It was also very disappointing that she failed to assure the conference that the pending recommendations of the independent Police Renumeration Review Body would be honoured in the same way as the recommendations of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which recommended a 10% pay rise for MPs.”