Page 4 - WMPF Federation Aug-Sept 2017

Chairman’s introduction

Time to act on

officer pay

the politicians had to say on the subject. Conservatives clinging to power.
But one comment from Prime Minister But the negotiations were not, and were
Theresa May stood out for me. While it was never going to be, just verbal. Money talks.
not about policing, I think it was quite And it would appear in the right amounts, it
telling. can talk very loudly indeed.
In a TV debate, Theresa May was Mrs May found that there was a magic
challenged by a nurse who said that her pay money tree; she gave it a good shake and
Photo courtesy Express & Star
slip from 2009 reflected exactly what she out fell the £1 billion investment needed to
earns today and questioned how that could secure the DUP’s support for the
be fair. Government.
Mrs May replied: “There isn’t a magic So is there a magic money tree after all?
money tree that we can shake that suddenly Well, it would appear that there is if it’s
provides for everything that people want.” something the Government wants or needs.
Before I give my own views on this The first duty of any Government has to
comment, I would just like to point out that be the protection and security of its citizens
a report by Government pay advisers has so I believe Mrs May – and indeed the
revealed that police officers’ average wages Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip
have fallen by £2 per hour as a result of the Hammond – need to start looking at their
public sector salary freezes. The report, priorities.
comparing pay in 2010 and then in 2015, To be fair, some members of the Cabinet
showed that at the top end of the scale have called for the current one per cent cap
doctors’ pay had fallen by £8 per hour, while on public sector pay rises to be lifted.
teachers saw a £3 per hour drop, prison Environment secretary Michael Gove,
By Tom Cuddeford, chairman of West officers a £1 per hour fall and nurses had in returned to the fold in the post-election
Midlands Police Federation fact stayed the same. The report was re-shuffle, was just one minister to suggest
released amid growing calls for the the Government could make this move and
In the run-up to the General Election, Government to lift its one per cent cap on his former ally Boris Johnson has said he
police funding became the subject of public sector pay rises. ‘strongly believed’ the cap can now be lifted.
Imany debates sadly, in part at least, due It was commissioned by the Office of Unfortunately, for Mr Gove and Mr
to the terrorist attacks of the previous Manpower Economics which offers support Johnson – and far more importantly for all
months. to the various independent bodies making public sector workers – it does not appear
There seemed to be a realisation that recommendations on public sector pay to that the Chancellor agrees.
the budget cuts had led to a reduction in the Government. To compound our frustration, just days
officer numbers that made it difficult – if So back to that magic money tree… before MPs started their summer recess –
not impossible – for the police service to In the political turmoil following the which incidentally runs from 20 July to 5
cope with all the demands made on it. General Election, we saw a shocked and September – the Government said it had
This is, of course, something we, and bruised Mrs May struggling to prop up her decided to delay making an announcement
everyone else actually working within minority Government. Very early on, it on officers’ pay award for the coming year
policing, have been saying for some time so became clear that the Democratic Unionist until September.
it was quite satisfying to finally hear what Party (DUP) would be the key to the This is just not acceptable and will cause

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