"Police officers across the United Kingdom have delivered a clear message to the Prime Minister. We no longer have any trust or faith in the abilities of Home Secretary Jacqui Smith dealing with our pay and conditions and she must go. "This is not just about money; it is about treating police officers fairly and honouring the decision of the independent Police Arbitration Tribunal. By not honouring the deal the Home Secretary has betrayed the trust of all UK police officers. "It's clear what needs to be done. Honour the deal in full or continue to feel the might and anger of police officers, the public and a growing number of politicians."And now the LibDems have managed to alienate the entire police force. In response to Liberal Democrats comment on police with criminal convictions, Paul McKeever, Police Federation of England and Wales says;
There are 140,230 police officers in England and Wales, I think the Conservatives can expect to pick up quite a few of their votes.“It is baffling that a political party claiming they want to restore public confidence could be so keen to conduct this type of headline-grabbing exposé. Not only do these figures serve to undermine confidence in policing by failing to appreciate the nature of these convictions but effectively ignore the thousands of successes achieved by the police each day.
“Are the Liberal Democrats effectively suggesting that a person caught and already punished for a minor offence should then be rejected from the police, even if they possess excellent credentials? Surely it should be that individual cases are dealt with at the discretion of Chief Officers, not by this type of ill conceived policy chomping?
“A party in the shadows would be more effectively employed creating dialogue with interested parties rather than undermining loyal public servants. Confidence is built by two way communication, not petty attempts to discredit.”
2 comments:
I'm still cynical. I'm not convinced the Tories will walk the next election. Everyone hates Labour but I don't think anyone loves the Tories. I think it will be a lot closer than people expect.
I have never read anything that David Cameron has said that is in the least bit supportive of the Police Service and the officers who work within it. He has often criticised & I have yet to see any credit where it is due, which is hardly balanced.I believe he has actually alienated many grass root officers. I also suspect that the majority of police officers are 'floating voters' looking for some sign of genuine leadership from Parliament. Mr Cameron does need to change his attitude if he wants police officers to vote for him, it would also be helpful if his party had any actual policies that we could examine!
A serving Police Officer
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