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Police officers march to protest against cuts Police officers march in protest against cuts
(about 3 hours later)
The biggest demonstration by police officers ever held in England and Wales on Thursday demanded the government halts its cuts and "privatisation" of the service. The biggest demonstration by police officers held in England and Wales on Thursday demanded the government halts its cuts and "privatisation" of the service.
More than 30,000 officers from all over the country marched through the capital in the only action they are legally entitled to take, in a show of defiance against police reforms and budget cuts. More than 30,000 officers marched through the capital, said the Police Federation, in the only action they are legally entitled to take, in a show of defiance against budget cuts and proposed changes to the service.
The last time they carried out a similar demonstration in 2008 they numbered around 20,000, and the Police Federation said this time the show of support was a display of the anger of rank and file officers faced with cuts to their pay, pensions and changes to their working conditions. Some officers wore T-shirts demanding full industrial rights –the last time officers went on strike was in 1919 but the government later banned them from taking such action again. The last time they carried out a similar demonstration, in 2008, they numbered around 20,000, and the federation said this time it was a display of the anger of rank and file officers faced with cuts to their pay, pensions and changes to their working conditions.
In a symbolic nod to the 16,000 officers the Federation say will be cut in the next two years, the same number of marchers wore black baseball caps as they walked from Millbank, past the Home Office to Parliament Square and onto Waterloo Place. Some officers wore T-shirts demanding full industrial rights the last time officers went on strike was in 1919 but the government banned them from taking such action again. In a symbolic nod to the 16,000 officers the federation say will be cut in the next two years, the same number of marchers wore black baseball caps as they walked from Millbank, past the Home Office to Parliament Square and on to Waterloo Place.
Carrying banners stating "Police for public not for profit", the demonstration passed the Home Office, where thousands of officers began to boo and slow hand clap. Carrying banners stating "Police for public not for profit", the marchers booed and slow-handclapped as they passed the Home Office. Others chanted "Theresa May, Theresa May, leave our pensions and our pay". All the officers had taken a day off work to join the protest.
Others chanted: "Theresa May, Theresa May leave our pensions and our pay." Phil Abbiss, from the West Yorkshire federation, said the demonstration was the voice of officers protesting against the 20% cuts being imposed on the service by the home secretary. "It is simple, we cannot protect the public whilst sustaining losses in police numbers of this magnitude," he said. "The government's answer is to privatise us by stealth so the likes of G4S will be patrolling the streets, that is why we are all here today."
The Federation estimated that more than 30,000 officers had taken part all of whom had taken a day off to travel to London. Scotland Yard, which was policing the event, refused to give figures on the numbers on the demonstration saying it was down to the organisers to issue them. The protesters used Twitter to call in support and raise their concerns with the policing minister Nick Herbert. In response, Herbert wrote a letter which he posted on Thursday morning on the Home Office website, stating: "All organisations have to keep pace with the modern world. I know that the spending reductions which police forces are required to make are challenging, but they are necessary." He said the changes were not just about cuts but about professionalisation, modern training, equipment and cutting bureaucracy.
Phil Abbiss, from the West Yorkshire federation said the demonstration was the voice of officers protesting against the 20% cuts being imposed on the service by the home secretary. But PC Shaun Robinson, 30, who took his wife and two young sons to the march, said: "What's being done is being called modernisation, but it's not modernisation. At times we barely operate with what staff we've got. We're told we've got record numbers of police, but that's record numbers with an ever-increasing population. It's just ludicrous."
"It is simple, we cannot protect the public whilst sustaining losses in police numbers of this magnitude," he said. Many marching said the employment protection they had as crown servants was being removed by the recommendations of Tom Winsor who has carried out a review of police pay and conditions which the government has accepted. As such they wanted full industrial rights in return for the loss of their job protection.
"The government's answer is to privatise us by stealth so the likes of G4S will be patrolling the streets, that is why we are all here today." One detective constable from the Met police, who did not want to be named, said: "Our problem is we don't have a union, so this march is the strongest action we can take. I think there are a lot of us wanting full industrial rights, and the right to strike. If you take away our job security we should have the right to defend our jobs."
The protesters used Twitter to call in support and tackle the policing minister Nick Herbert head on as they marched. Police strength reached a record high of roughly 143,000 towards the end of the Labour government but the latest Home Office figures show numbers at their lowest for a decade at 136,000.
In response, Herbert wrote a letter which he posted on Thursday morning on the Home Office website, stating: "All organisations have to keep pace with the modern world. Under the Winsor recommendations the way officers are paid will change, allowances will be cut, the ban on compulsory redundancies will be lifted and there could be pay cuts for officers who fail the fitness test. Winsor has also proposed ending the right for officers to retire after 30 years and has called for entry at inspector level for potential high-flyers.
"I know that the spending reductions which police forces are required to make are challenging, but they are necessary." Paul McKeever, the chair of the Police Federation, told the marchers they were "the best police officers in the world and you deserve far better than the government are currently giving you".
He said the changes are not just about cuts but about professionalisation, modern training, equipment and cutting bureaucracy. The demonstation was met with sympathy by senior police figures. "There is no denying that officers from across the country have shown the strength of their feeling today about the future of the police service," said Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers. "Chief officers sympathise with the demands placed on the officers and staff in our charge. We recognise the financial uncertainty created by the current economic situation and changes to job security and pensions. We firmly believe that proposals for change have to be viewed for their cumulative impact and recognise the unique demands policing makes of police officers and staff."
But PC Shaun Robinson, 30, who brought his wife and two young sons to the march said: "What's being done is being called modernisation, but it's not modernisation. A spokesman for David Cameron said: "The Government inherited a very tough fiscal challenge. We are having to make spending cuts across the board.
"At times we barely operate with what staff we've got. We're told we've got record numbers of police, but that's record numbers with an ever-increasing population. It's just ludicrous." "We think the reductions in spending on the police are challenging but manageable and that the police will still have the resources that they need to do the important work that they do."
Many marching said the employment protection they had as crown servants was being removed by the recommendations of Tom Winsor, which the government has accepted. As such they wanted full industrial rights in return for the loss of their employment protection.
One detective constable from the Met police who did not want to be named said: "Our problem is we don't have a union, so this march is the strongest action we can take.
"I think there are a lot of us wanting full industrial rights, and the right to strike. If you take away our job security we should have the right to defend our jobs."
Police strength reached a record high of roughly 143,000 towards the end of the former Labour government but the latest Home Office figures show police numbers at their lowest for a decade at 136,000.
Under the Winsor recommendations the way police officers are paid will change, and allowances will be cut, the ban on compulsory redundancies will be lifted and there could be pay cuts for officers who fail the fitness test.
Winsor has also proposed ending the right for officers to retire after 30 years and called for entry at inspector rank and above.
Paul McKeever, the chair of the Police Federation, told the marchers on Thursday they were "the best police officers in the world and you deserve far better than the government are currently giving you".