The Conservatives on Police Pay?

Police Pay - The Conservatives: At a time when we (the Police) appear to be needed more than ever before, the last thing we should have to worry about is the financial security for ourselves and our families. Edmund Davies gave us (and the Government) an ‘agreed’ method to calculate increases but this Labour Government have refused to honour it once again. The question has to be asked however; would things be any different if the Conservatives came to power?

I agree that the Edmond Davies ‘agreement’ may be getting ‘long in the tooth’ but I would challenge the government suggestion that; ‘it is no longer fit for purpose’. It has stood the test of time because it was effective, fair and transparent. What the government really mean is… Ooh, proper policing is bloody expensive, how can we get it cheaper? Shock horror, you can’t, simple as that! Policing requires proper funding and investment, both in the organisation and in those individuals tasked with performing the function. Policing on the cheap does not work and will never work.

David Cameron may have put ‘police reform’ high on his list of priorities but this may just be more rhetoric after all, they are in effect a party in waiting. They are waiting for their chance to sit upon high, ensuring their pockets are full each year like every political party before them. It’s getting to the stage where British politics could be likened to communism, whatever the political colour… Everyone is equal but some are more equal than others!

Despite David Cameron appointing Nick Herbert as Shadow Minister for Police Reform with a brief to lead a Taskforce on the issue, it appears their interim report 'Policing for the People' may just mean ‘same old same old’ but this time it’s got a blue cover. They (Conservatives) do at least appear to want to listen (unlike the government). They have set up a website to receive views from all those concerned. Sir Ian Blair called for a national debate on the police in 2005 by asking, "What kind of police service do we want…? Two years down the line and there is still a government intention to refuse or stifle that debate.

One of the corner stones of our democratic society is getting things changed by debate and strength of public opinion. Let’s have a go at discussing the issues and putting our views across to the Conservatives at http://www.policereform.com/ after all, there is a distinct chance we may well have to negotiate with them in the future!