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| Tom Winsor 'best candidate' for police watchdog role | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| The Home Office has put forward Tim Winsor to head the police watchdog body because he was "the best candidate", Police Minister Nick Herbert has said. | |
| Police groups say Mr Winsor - who led a controversial review into police pay - lacks experience to be Chief Inspector of Constabulary for England and Wales. | |
| If appointed, the lawyer would be the first civilian to take up the post. | |
| Mr Herbert said Mr Winsor was a highly experienced regulator whose review "demonstrated his independence". | |
| The former rail regulator will appear before the Home Affairs Select Committee next week before his appointment is finally approved. | |
| The 54-year-old would be the first person who has not served as a police officer to take up the role since Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) was first established in 1856. He would replace Sir Denis O'Connor who retires at the end of next month. | |
| BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the home secretary's decision to select Mr Winsor was an extraordinarily bold move, as his report into police pay and conditions last year had made him deeply unpopular among many officers. | |
| 'Most important' job | 'Most important' job |
| In the report, Mr Winsor called for the abolition of a series of allowances and special payments. | |
| He called for the current police pay system to be overhauled and replaced with one that recognised hard work and merit instead of long service. | He called for the current police pay system to be overhauled and replaced with one that recognised hard work and merit instead of long service. |
| He also recommended that officers on front-line duties should see their pay rise, and wanted a professional accreditation allowance of £1,200 to be introduced for most detectives, firearms, public order and neighbourhood policing teams. | He also recommended that officers on front-line duties should see their pay rise, and wanted a professional accreditation allowance of £1,200 to be introduced for most detectives, firearms, public order and neighbourhood policing teams. |
| Mr Herbert, Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice, told Radio 4's Today programme that the next Chief Inspector of Constabulary would have to command the respect of not just the police service but also of elected police and crime commissioners. | |
| "The inspectorate will continue to have a mix of civilians and former chief constables," he said. | |
| "The candidate Tom Winsor is a highly experienced regulator, has demonstrated his independence in the report that he has given, was by far the best candidate for the job. And we will continue to ensure that the inspectorate of constabulary is inspecting in the public interest - which is what its primary task should be." | |
| In a separate BBC interview, Mr Herbert described Mr Winsor's credentails for the job as "impeccable" and denied his selection was intended as a provocation. | |
| But Paul McKeever, chairman of the Police Federation which represents rank-and-file officers, told Today the organisation was "very surprised that the home secretary has chosen somebody who has so little experience of policing". | |
| Mr McKeever said that Mr Winsor had needed a retired chief constable to advise him when he was compiling his report on pay. | Mr McKeever said that Mr Winsor had needed a retired chief constable to advise him when he was compiling his report on pay. |
| "When you look across the police service there are so many people with real experience and real understanding - a profound understanding - of policing, we don't know why the government has chosen a commercial lawyer." | "When you look across the police service there are so many people with real experience and real understanding - a profound understanding - of policing, we don't know why the government has chosen a commercial lawyer." |
| Mr McKeever said officers were concerned about the future of policing. "I spoke to one middle ranking officer last night who said he was considering resigning yesterday - he was so astonished at the announcement". | Mr McKeever said officers were concerned about the future of policing. "I spoke to one middle ranking officer last night who said he was considering resigning yesterday - he was so astonished at the announcement". |
| The Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales earlier commented that the other candidates included a number of serving chief constables and others experienced in policing. | The Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales earlier commented that the other candidates included a number of serving chief constables and others experienced in policing. |
| "Hitherto this role has always been fulfilled by an individual with a strong and credible record of achievement within policing and knowledge and understanding of the wider criminal justice system." | "Hitherto this role has always been fulfilled by an individual with a strong and credible record of achievement within policing and knowledge and understanding of the wider criminal justice system." |
| Appointment 'hugely provocative' | Appointment 'hugely provocative' |
| Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone said selecting someone without a police background was "innovative and it may be brilliant". | Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone said selecting someone without a police background was "innovative and it may be brilliant". |
| But she told Today Mr Winsor still had to prove to the select committee he had an understanding of the job. | But she told Today Mr Winsor still had to prove to the select committee he had an understanding of the job. |
| "Theresa believes he can, I believe Theresa is probably, almost certainly, right," she said. | "Theresa believes he can, I believe Theresa is probably, almost certainly, right," she said. |
| Dr Tim Brain, former chief constable of Gloucester and now a research fellow at Cardiff University, told Today that the government had shown contempt for police leadership and signalled that it wanted more people from outside the force at the top. | Dr Tim Brain, former chief constable of Gloucester and now a research fellow at Cardiff University, told Today that the government had shown contempt for police leadership and signalled that it wanted more people from outside the force at the top. |
| "It's very symbolic, it's hugely provocative, but we shouldn't be surprised," he said. | "It's very symbolic, it's hugely provocative, but we shouldn't be surprised," he said. |