FEDCONNECT


membership poll. Over 50,000 of you responded to the membership poll earlier this year, with 98 per cent of you saying you want some form of collective bargaining for pay, and binding arbitration. There has been much work ongoing as to how collective bargaining could look. This includes whether the current pay review system could allow some form of negotiation, rather than merely taking evidence from organisations. We have made very clear


to government that the restrictions on your lives, and your inability to take industrial action, must be recognised; and this means having a fair pay mechanism that you can have confidence in. Policing is always under the spotlight.


their support. That doesn’t mean agreeing with everything we say - but it does mean taking a step back and not jumping on a populist bandwagon just to get a local headline or a clip for their social media accounts. It means taking the time to understand what happened and why; to put themselves in your shoes for one moment, and then translate that back to their constituents.


“Nationally and locally, the


until the point of a conviction. This is the right and fair thing to do.


Federation has been pushing the good news stories – to media, to politicians, and to the public.”


Our daily successes not often capturing the headlines, but when something is perceived to go wrong, then armchair critics come out on the media to analyse and berate. Regrettably, within this group, we often see politicians; people who really should stick to the facts, rather than just opinion. We have had an enormous task in recent


years, to win back public confidence and trust, following several high-profile cases, where individuals who were never fit to wear a uniform, were thrown out of the job; and in some cases, even convicted of criminal offences.


These cases have shaken public confidence and reflected badly on the many tens of thousands of police officers doing their very best in extremely trying circumstances. Nationally and locally, the Federation


has been pushing the good news stories – to media, to politicians, and to the public. Working together we have been meeting MPs from all your force areas, and making clear to them that policing needs


I was appalled at some of the things I saw on social media following the exoneration of the officer known as NX121, after the trial into the shooting of Chris Kaba. Not taking away from the pain and heartache that Chris Kaba’s family continue to live with, officer NX121 was found not guilty in court. Yet, he and his family endured, and continue to endure, absolute hell because of being publicly named in court. It’s time that elected politicians respected the decision of the judicial system. References to police officers being above the law are wrong and inflammatory, and they must stop.


Last month, following the accountability review and drawing on findings from the Casey and Angiolini reviews, the Government announced its own plans to help restore confidence in the police. Following representations made by


the Police Federation, we were pleased to see that one recommendation to be implemented is a presumption of anonymity for firearms officers facing criminal proceedings following police shootings, up


This month we will hear what next year’s police financial settlement will be; the amount of money that police forces will receive from national government and through local taxation. We want to ensure that you have the very best kit, uniform and equipment. Yet, when it comes to procurement, your chiefs’ hands are tied – only ever knowing what money they have coming in for the following 12 months. This is why we have been pressing the government to introduce a multi-year settlement. One that allows chief officers to plan with confidence and to get the best deals possible and means that chiefs don’t find themselves in the invidious position of having to look towards their people to cut costs. You know only too well how cuts to police staff impacts on our ability to perform our role and deliver the best service possible to our communities. I concluded by talking about the Police Covenant. Introduced in 2022, the Covenant aims to ensure that members, or former members of the police workforce in England and Wales, are not disadvantaged as a result of working in policing. The principle of the Covenant was something the Police Federation supported, and indeed continues to support. But we want to see it make a positive and tangible difference to your lives, and at this stage, I regret to say, we are unsure it is achieving all it set out to deliver.


So, we are reaching out to the Home


Secretary and pushing for something meaningful for you and your families. Finally, can I wish you, your families and friends a peaceful festive period and a happy, healthy 2025.


21 | POLICE | DECEMBER | 2024


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