John Penrose

Conservative Party | Weston-super-Mare

MP Meets Local Police Representatives in Westminster

John Penrose MP (centre) meets with police representatives from Weston (from left to right) Pete Land, Andy Manhire, Richard Baber, Paul Budd and Nick Hooper

Weston-super-Mare MP John Penrose met police representatives from Weston in Parliament yesterday to discuss the Government's police pay award and the increasing levels of red tape that are interfering with officers' ability to do their jobs properly.

Earlier in the day, the Police representatives had joined an estimated 22,500 Police Officers marching for fair pay after Home Secretary Jacqui Smith rejected the Independent Police Arbitration Panel recommendation of a 2.5% pay rise. Instead she offered a 1.9% rise by not backdating the increase to September 2007 as they recommended.

Mr Penrose said:

“Jacqui Smith’s failure to honour the arbitration pay award has done severe damage to police morale. It's a betrayal of trust which will come back to haunt the Government.

“The independent system for deciding police pay has been in place since 1979 because police officers can't take industrial action. In 28 years this is the first time the recommended rise hasn't been honoured.

“That's why I was delighted to meet with police officers from Weston who'd come to London to join the demonstration. It's the biggest police demonstration for a generation, with around one in five of all the police in Britain converging on Parliament to show their disgust at the Government's actions.

"As an indication of the police's professionalism and dedication, Weston's delegation told me that while they were marching through London earlier in the day they'd seen some on-duty officers chasing a suspect, who was promptly tackled and arrested by some of the off-duty officers on the march. Even when they're protesting they're still protecting the public. It doesn't say much for the brains of the person they arrested either - who thinks it's a clever idea to commit a crime in front of the single biggest crowd of police officers the country has ever seen?

"I told them that the Conservative Party value the police for their courage and bravery, and that a Conservative Government would have paid their award in full. If the police aren't allowed to strike it's important for any Government, no matter which political Party is in power, to honour the independent award. To make it harder for any Government to renege on the independent award in future, the Conservatives would change the law to require a full vote in the House of Commons rather than leaving it to the whim of the Home Secretary.”

Mr Penrose also discussed the effects of increasing bureaucracy and top-down targets set by the current Government. He said:

“The Government’s micro-management has had a serious impact on our Police force. Under Labour, being a policeman or woman is no longer about policing the streets but filling in paperwork and forms.

“It’s had a massive impact on Police Officers who just want to go out on the streets and do their job. It’s a testament to their dedication and commitment that they continue to work so hard and devote their lives to helping the public when they're tied down with so much red tape.

“The Police should be responsible to the local area and not the Home Secretary dictating from Whitehall. It’s the local people that know what’s best for the area, not a Minister who has never even been to North Somerset”.

Mr Penrose has been invited by the representatives to see the effects of these forms and bureaucracy first hand in Weston police station. He accepted the invitation enthusiastically and hopes to arrange the visit as soon as possible.