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Police plan 'mass protest rally'

bbc | 25.02.2002 12:48

Police officers plan to march on Downing Street in protest against Home Secretary David Blunkett's planned reform of the police service, it is being reported.

The Metropolitan Police Federation is also considering a legal challenge against the strike ban on police citing the European Convention on Human Rights.

Police officers were incandescent at his cheek

Glen Smyth
Metropolitan Police Federation

But the home secretary has dismissed the idea of strike action as "ridiculous".

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour programme, he said: "People want strikes against thugs and criminals not strikes against the public services."

Mr Blunkett is determined to press ahead with reform of pay and conditions despite the Police Federation's 10-1 vote against the proposals.

He has sent a letter to every chief constable and their area commanders expressing his disappointment at the ballot result.

'Bully' behaviour

Police officers are planning the mass rally at Whitehall, according to the Daily Mail.

Earlier the Metropolitan Police Federation's chairman Glen Smyth accused Mr Blunkett of being a "bully".

He said while many rank-and-file officers welcomed the proposals in the Police Reform Bill, the pay offer was unacceptable.

And he revealed the federation was drawing up plans to make a legal challenge to overturn the ban on strike action, in force since the Police Strike of 1919.

David Blunkett: Determined to press ahead with reforms

In his letter, sent after the ballot on Friday, Mr Blunkett wrote: "I am disappointed that the leaders of the federation, both nationally and locally, failed to do what they said they would do - that is recommend the package to members.

"The time has come for the official side - Acpo [Association of Chief Police Officers], the Police Authorities and the government - to ensure that rank and file officers understand what a very good deal this is for all concerned."

The proposed package would give senior officers the reforms they told the government they wanted, Mr Blunkett added.

Mr Smyth said of the letter: "He has got a hard job on his hands because all the superintendents I have spoken to don't believe the pay proposals are a good idea.

Cheaper alternative

"He tried to do this within the Metropolitan Police in the run-up to the ballots and it had completely the opposite effect to the one he desired.

"Police officers were incandescent at his cheek."

Police officers welcomed the bulk of the reforms package but objected to the pay offer, Mr Smyth said.

"He is behaving like a bully. This will only drive a wedge between the government and the police.

"This man is a bully, police officers deal with bullies on a daily basis, they don't scare us, we take them on."

Police officers may use their feet to make the decision - they'll leave the Police Service

Bob Elder
Police Federation's Constables' Committee

Bob Elder, chairman of the Police Federation's Constables' Committee, said Mr Blunkett "really doesn't give a damn about the Police Service, and if he can replace it with a much cheaper alternative then he will do".

Mr Elder told GMTV's Sunday programme: "There is so much anger among the officers around the country, that they are actually saying 'we need to review this, we need to be looking at the European Court to see whether we can change our status as being a non-striking group'.

"What's been so disappointing ... is the way that the Police Service has been run down ... and that's been led by spin doctors within the home department itself."

Warning of mass resignations should the Home Secretary force through his reform package, Mr Elder added: "Police officers may use their feet to make the decision - they'll leave the Police Service.

"That's a very real fear."

See also:

24 Feb 02 | UK Politics
Police threaten strike over 'bully' Blunkett
22 Feb 02 | UK
Blunkett attacks police 'blockers'
22 Feb 02 | UK
'Massive' rejection of police pay deal
22 Feb 02 | UK Politics
'No compromise' over police pay
22 Feb 02 | UK
Does low pay mean crooked cops?
22 Feb 02 | Scotland
Scottish police reject pay offer
22 Feb 02 | Northern Ireland
NI officers reject police pay deal
06 Feb 02 | UK
Historic police ballot over pay
17 Dec 01 | UK Politics
Q&A: Police reform white paper
29 Nov 01 | UK Politics
Police anger over Blunkett reforms
Internet links:

Home Office
Police Federation
Home Office - police reform
Off Duty - unofficial officers' site

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Homepage: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_1839000/1839726.stm

Comments

Hide the following 10 comments

Compare and contrast:

25.02.2002 17:15

I think it's very interesting to compare the terms in which this item is being reported with those used for other mass protests and industrial actions. All the reporting I've heard has been couched in very reasonable, non-inflammitory terms, very unlike the language used to describe the "hard-line socialists" of the RMT or the "violently anti-democratic" peace protestors.

It's ironic really - the real Black Bloc have their own protest and there's no mention of potential violence ;-) I wonder how this event will be policed?

D

Dunc

Cops eh? - love 'em

25.02.2002 17:25

A rally of cops eh? - I wonder if there'll be a small group of hardcore activists intent on disrupting the legitimate message of the majority of them?

I heard this is all about cops wanting double time for overtime instead of time and a half. This goes back to when Thatcher got in, immediately gave cops a big pay increase in preparation for dealing with massive unemployment, riots, strikes etc then the millions she gave them in overtime to destroy the miners strike in 84/85.

If you're planning attacks on a wide range of people you need to keep the cops onside.

Inspector Morse

highly bizarre

25.02.2002 17:49

as my recent ill timed article 'police reject blunketization' suggested, there are massive power struggles tearing the law and order lobby now.
i think the unjustified attack on IMC outside the italian embassy was the result of these tensions.
think it over; last week, 'pc pot-head', commander paddick, made a definite overture to the ultra-left, admittedly more Tolstoy than Trotsky, more Dickens than Bakunin, but it must have sent horrors throughout the old school plods, accustomed to roughing up lefties.
whoever was in charge of the police operation in kings yard perhaps wanted to counterpose the position of the brixton commander by showing no support for 'anarchists' whatever...

bill bore

Oink!

25.02.2002 19:06

I think one of us on this list should be contacted by the national press to give our estimate of the turnout on the demo. Fairs fair!

Ronnie.

Que custodius?

25.02.2002 20:33

Can we get the SWP to steward the march??

Irishness

will they wear there uniforms?

25.02.2002 23:50

i for one will def. be there to steward them, take photos, and sit on my spruced up byke on the edge talking into my radio. maybe someone could bring a remote controlled helicopter to buzz over there heads.
will they wear there uniforms?

justice

26.02.2002 00:41

hows about boxing them in for a few hours so they have to pee on the spot and then laying into them with big sticks and beating their women?pieces of shit///

grim reaper

film the bastards

26.02.2002 03:03

these militant coppers look like they're gonna cause trouble. i recommend 24/7 surveillance of the ring leaders and when they get together for their rally somebody should be there with a camera - purely for the purposes of gathering evidence you understand. will they get a permission for the demo? who from? somebody should be holding a press conference now warning local residents and businesses of likely trouble. and where is all that cs gas reclaim the streets were reported to be stockpiling - looks like it might come in handy.

ged gobbo

do you remember...

26.02.2002 10:55

shouting 'support us now, we'll support you when they privitise the police'.

if we're lucky

26.02.2002 13:31

then its gonna go like it went with the pigs in spain....where they protested and got beaten up by the riot squad and nicked each other....haha wouldnt that be funny?

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