ANNUAL CONFERENCE
This work contributed to a 4.2 per cent pay award, alongside increases to on- call, away-from-home overnight and hardship allowances. Crucially, the Pay Review Body has agreed to examine reforms PFEW has long argued for, including:
standards. Recent cases of misconduct, criminality and unsuitable behaviour have damaged trust and exposed weaknesses in the vetting and assessment system.
• Shift disturbance allowance • Detective’s allowance • Enforceable leave guidance • Recognition for unpaid extra hours routinely worked by inspecting ranks
But Mr Partington made one point absolutely clear: applying identical percentage increases across all ranks deepens inequality. Officers on lower pay, whose income is consumed entirely by essentials, experience inflation differently than superintendents or chief officers. “A superintendent and a constable face the same inflation, but not the same pressure,” he said. “Identical percentages create inequality.” Fair pay, he argued, requires a
mechanism that reflects the lived reality of the frontline - not a blunt percentage tool that rewards the highest earners the most. Mr Partington turned to one of the most urgent issues facing policing: the need for robust national recruitment
PFEW is now pressing for mandatory psychological and psychometric testing for all new recruits and throughout early training. “This is about safeguarding the
integrity of policing,” he said. “Resilience, empathy and moral strength cannot be assumed - they must be tested and proven.”
• Consistent national standards • Early identification of risk factors • Strong support for candidates needing development
The proposal is simple but powerful: • Protection of public trust
The Pay Review Body, he argued, is also outdated and unfit for a workforce barred from striking, and true fairness requires collective bargaining, and binding arbitration. Officers deserve a genuine seat at the table to negotiate pay and conditions directly with government, rather than relying on an “independent” review body constrained by ministers. Under its proposals, unresolved
disputes would be settled by an impartial
arbitrator whose decision would be final, preventing political interference and ensuring a rules-based system used successfully in other sectors. The case has already reached Parliament, with an Early Day Motion attracting cross-party support and a parallel motion tabled by the Liberal Democrats. PFEW is also examining legal options and international routes through the International Labour Organisation. “We will not accept silence as a substitute for justice,” added JP. “We will not rest until the pay system reflects the unique status and restrictions of your role. We’ll keep making the case in Parliament, in the courts, and in the public eye. We’ll keep building alliances and pushing for reform until there is a fair, modern system that truly values police officers for what you are: the people who hold the line when everything else gives way.”
A COMPASSIONATE POLICING SYSTEM - AND WHY THE CURRENT ONE FALLS SHORT Deputy National Secretary Mel Warnes delivered one of the most impactful speeches of the Conference - a call to embed compassion directly into policing’s Regulations. She illustrated the realities officers
13 | POLICE | DECEMBER | 2025
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