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Police Federation must reform now or government will intervene, May warns Police Federation must reform now or government will intervene, May warns
(about 1 hour later)
The home secretary has delivered a stark warning to the professional body for rank-and-file police officers, saying it must reform or the government would intervene and impose changes.The home secretary has delivered a stark warning to the professional body for rank-and-file police officers, saying it must reform or the government would intervene and impose changes.
Theresa May told the Police Federation's annual conference that the organisation would cease to receive public funding from August. She said it was not acceptable that it received public funds when it was sitting on "vast reserves" worth tens of millions of pounds. Theresa May told the Police Federation's annual conference on Wednesday that the organisation would cease to receive public funding for top officials from August. She said it was not acceptable that it received public funds when it was sitting on "vast reserves" worth tens of millions of pounds.
The government has already reduced funding from £320,000 to £190,000 a year, May said. But she added: "I can announce today that this funding will be stopped altogether from August."The government has already reduced funding from £320,000 to £190,000 a year, May said. But she added: "I can announce today that this funding will be stopped altogether from August."
May told the Police Federation conference in Bournemouth that the home office would be inspecting the finances of the scandal-hit organisation, including the so-called "number two" bank accounts alleged to contain tens of millions of pounds. May told the Police Federation conference in Bournemouth that the Home Office would be inspecting the finances of the scandal-hit organisation, including the so-called "number two" bank accounts alleged to contain tens of millions of pounds.
She told a stunned and silent audience of officers that scandals about police misconduct and the federation itself threatened the model of "policing by consent", which is the bedrock of British law enforcement. She told a stunned and silent audience of officers that scandals about police misconduct and the federation itself threatened the model of "policing by consent", which was the bedrock of British law enforcement.
May said her policing budget reforms had worked and police warnings that cuts would trigger disaster and rises in crime were wrong.May said her policing budget reforms had worked and police warnings that cuts would trigger disaster and rises in crime were wrong.
Her speech came hours before the federation start voting on 36 reforms demanded by an independent review. May said all 36 reforms should be adopted. Her speech comes hours before the federation starts voting on 36 reforms demanded by an independent review. May said all 36 reforms should be adopted.
The content of her speech and its tone led some people already fighting to reform the federation to voice private fears that it would "get the backs up" of those voting later today. The content of her speech and its tone led some people already fighting to reform the federation to voice private fears that it would "get the backs up" of those voting later on Wednesday.
The Home Secretary also announced that officers will no longer automatically become members of the federation, and instead will have to opt in. May also announced that officers would no longer automatically become members of the federation, and instead would have to opt in.
Earlier, the home secretary told police officers who question the need for change to "face up to reality". Earlier, the home secretary told police officers who questioned the need for change to "face up to reality".
May listed a string of damning controversies faced by forces across the country including the findings of the Hillsborough Independent Panel and the so-called Plebgate row. She listed a string of damning controversies faced by forces across the country, including the findings of the Hillsborough independent panel and the Plebgate row.
She said: "If there's anybody in this hall who doubts that our model of policing is at risk, if there is anybody who underestimates the damage recent events and revelations have done to the relationship between the public and the police, if anybody here questions the need for the police to change, I am here to tell you that it's time to face up to reality."She said: "If there's anybody in this hall who doubts that our model of policing is at risk, if there is anybody who underestimates the damage recent events and revelations have done to the relationship between the public and the police, if anybody here questions the need for the police to change, I am here to tell you that it's time to face up to reality."
In a forceful speech, May told members if the federation did not change and accept the reforms recommended by Sir David Normington's review, it would be forced to do so. In a forceful speech, May told members that if the federation did not change and accept the reforms recommended by Sir David Normington's review, it would be forced to do so.
She said she would change the law to allow the Home Office access to the federation's "number two" accounts, many of which are currently inaccessible even to the federation's national leadership.She said she would change the law to allow the Home Office access to the federation's "number two" accounts, many of which are currently inaccessible even to the federation's national leadership.
"I do not want to have to impose change on you, because I want you to show the public that you want to change," May said. "I want you to show them that you have the best interests of the police and of the public at heart."I do not want to have to impose change on you, because I want you to show the public that you want to change," May said. "I want you to show them that you have the best interests of the police and of the public at heart.
"But make no mistake. If you do not make significant progress towards the implementation of the Normington reforms, if the federation does not start to turn itself around, you must not be under the impression that the government will let things remain as they are."But make no mistake. If you do not make significant progress towards the implementation of the Normington reforms, if the federation does not start to turn itself around, you must not be under the impression that the government will let things remain as they are.
"The federation was created by an act of parliament and it can be reformed by an act of parliament. If you do not change of your own accord, we will impose change on you.""The federation was created by an act of parliament and it can be reformed by an act of parliament. If you do not change of your own accord, we will impose change on you."
May was greeted with silence from audience members as she finished her speech. There was no round of applause. Members were told "it is not enough to mouth platitudes about a few bad apples" in the face of a slew of high profile scandals that have hit the police.
Concerns had been raised that officers under investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission had refused to answer questions in interview, and May said she would give the watchdog greater powers if necessary.
May said a third of the public do not trust officers to tell the truth.
She was greeted with silence from audience members as she finished her speech.
Will Riches, one of two candidates to be the next chair of the federation, said parts of the speech had been "high-handed and unhelpful" and "disingenuous".
He said that the tone and content of the speech might make the passing of whole-scale reform harder. Riches said: "The mood at the start was positive and optimistic. I think it might have backfired. People now think they don't have control over their own destiny."
One delegate said the speech was "disgusting" but current federation chair Steve Williams was more emollient.
However, he revealed the changes to the federation announced by May had been "news to us all" and its leaders had not been given any advance warning.
Earlier, in his speech Williams had lashed out at the media in his final annual speech.
At the start of the year a damning independent review, commissioned by the federation, painted a picture of an organisation riddled with infighting and with millions of pounds stashed in unregulated accounts.
Williams told members: "It will have escaped no one's attention that there has been negative story after negative story published about the Police Federation."
He said he knew the review "would attract some flak both inside and outside of our organisation", but insisted that members had been "positive about the need for change".
"It's easy for the media, politicians and the public to lose sight of the benefit that the Police Federation brings both locally and nationally," Williams said.
"And while the good deeds of our members are occasionally rightly reflected in the local media, a focus on your efforts and the efforts of Fed reps across the country has become difficult in the haze of negativity and media furore."