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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Smith 'betrayed' police over pay | Smith 'betrayed' police over pay |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The home secretary has "betrayed the police service" by refusing to backdate a 2.5% pay rise, the chairman of the Police Federation has said. | The home secretary has "betrayed the police service" by refusing to backdate a 2.5% pay rise, the chairman of the Police Federation has said. |
| Jan Berry told its annual conference that Jacqui Smith's decision, affecting Wales, England and Northern Ireland, had been "a monumental mistake". | |
| But Ms Smith stood by her decision, adding it had been taken "only after a lot of thought". | |
| On Tuesday, federation members voted to lobby for the right to strike. | On Tuesday, federation members voted to lobby for the right to strike. |
| Ms Berry praised the home secretary for having the "courage" to face the Bournemouth conference, but said: "Your decision not to honour the pay award was a breach of faith. | Ms Berry praised the home secretary for having the "courage" to face the Bournemouth conference, but said: "Your decision not to honour the pay award was a breach of faith. |
| "It was a monumental mistake, and I don't say this lightly when I say you betrayed the police service." | "It was a monumental mistake, and I don't say this lightly when I say you betrayed the police service." |
| Ms Smith later addressed the 1,000 delegates herself. Setting out on the road to the right to strike will only lead to a dead end Jacqui Smith, Home Secretary Nick Robinson's blog | Ms Smith later addressed the 1,000 delegates herself. Setting out on the road to the right to strike will only lead to a dead end Jacqui Smith, Home Secretary Nick Robinson's blog |
| "I know you strongly disagree with the decision," she said, "but it was one that I took only after a lot of thought, after considering the full facts of the case, the need to keep mortgages and the cost of living under control - and that includes your mortgages and your families' cost of living as well. | "I know you strongly disagree with the decision," she said, "but it was one that I took only after a lot of thought, after considering the full facts of the case, the need to keep mortgages and the cost of living under control - and that includes your mortgages and your families' cost of living as well. |
| "And there was another crucial factor at play: affordability. And for that, read police officer numbers." | "And there was another crucial factor at play: affordability. And for that, read police officer numbers." |
| Ms Smith said she "did not set out to alienate police officers", but added: "Setting out on the road to the right to strike will only lead to a dead end." | Ms Smith said she "did not set out to alienate police officers", but added: "Setting out on the road to the right to strike will only lead to a dead end." |
| Review call | Review call |
| Last year, she decided not to backdate to September a 2.5% pay rise for police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. | Last year, she decided not to backdate to September a 2.5% pay rise for police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. |
| The police say this means their rise, only paid from December 2007, in reality amounts to 1.9%. Officers in Scotland, however, were awarded the backdated rise by the Scottish Government. | The police say this means their rise, only paid from December 2007, in reality amounts to 1.9%. Officers in Scotland, however, were awarded the backdated rise by the Scottish Government. |
| On Tuesday, police officers voted by a large majority to lobby the government for the right to take strike action over the decision. | On Tuesday, police officers voted by a large majority to lobby the government for the right to take strike action over the decision. |
| Jan Berry, the chairman of the Police Federation, criticises the home secretary | Jan Berry, the chairman of the Police Federation, criticises the home secretary |
| At present, they are banned from taking industrial action and any such action is a criminal offence. | At present, they are banned from taking industrial action and any such action is a criminal offence. |
| Ms Berry called for an independent review of policing and vowed that the federation's members would abide by its recommendations. | Ms Berry called for an independent review of policing and vowed that the federation's members would abide by its recommendations. |
| She said such a review was vital to come up with "a clear vision for 21st Century policing". | She said such a review was vital to come up with "a clear vision for 21st Century policing". |
| "The inept management of modernisation is nothing short of a scandal," Ms Berry said. | "The inept management of modernisation is nothing short of a scandal," Ms Berry said. |
| She also said all 16,000 police community support officers in England and Wales should be given the training to convert them into full-fledged officers. | She also said all 16,000 police community support officers in England and Wales should be given the training to convert them into full-fledged officers. |
| This, she said, would give the public what they want - "the bobby on the beat". | This, she said, would give the public what they want - "the bobby on the beat". |
| Ms Berry said the need to achieve targets and gather data had left the police "lost between statistics and reality". | Ms Berry said the need to achieve targets and gather data had left the police "lost between statistics and reality". |
| But she said the other extreme - where officers were only called to deal with conflict and serious incident - would lead to the police becoming "a paramilitary force". | But she said the other extreme - where officers were only called to deal with conflict and serious incident - would lead to the police becoming "a paramilitary force". |
| Pension reforms | Pension reforms |
| The chairman was not entirely critical of the government. She told the conference she believed the police force was "more professional now than ever before". The home secretary was praised for having the "courage" to attend | The chairman was not entirely critical of the government. She told the conference she believed the police force was "more professional now than ever before". The home secretary was praised for having the "courage" to attend |
| "There are more of us now, we are better equipped and we have been catching more criminals," Ms Berry said. | "There are more of us now, we are better equipped and we have been catching more criminals," Ms Berry said. |
| "In fairness, you've listened to our concerns, but we have yet to feel those affects on the ground." | "In fairness, you've listened to our concerns, but we have yet to feel those affects on the ground." |
| The home secretary used her speech at the conference to announce a number of changes to police remuneration, including a change to the way the lump sums paid to officers on retirement is calculated. | The home secretary used her speech at the conference to announce a number of changes to police remuneration, including a change to the way the lump sums paid to officers on retirement is calculated. |
| This would significantly increase the amount of money received by many, she said. | This would significantly increase the amount of money received by many, she said. |
| She also said that in future, partners of officers killed in service should no longer lose their full police pension if they remarry. | She also said that in future, partners of officers killed in service should no longer lose their full police pension if they remarry. |
| The government would also look to cut officers' paperwork by reducing the amount of data it required them to collect by a third, she added. | The government would also look to cut officers' paperwork by reducing the amount of data it required them to collect by a third, she added. |