Priti Patel stays away as Nick Thomas-Symonds delivers speech to Police Superintendents

Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary has today - Tuesday, 14 September - delivered his speech to the annual Police Superintendents' Association Conference.

Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, was due to deliver his remarks tomorrow morning - Wednesday, 15 September - with the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, due to deliver her speech in-person at 2pm today. However, the Home Secretary pulled out at the last minute, instead sending a pre-recorded video message, avoiding taking questions from members of the Association and the press.

Thomas-Symonds delivered his speech in-person this afternoon just after the Home Secretary’s pre-recorded video was played to attendees, and then took questions from members and the press.

In his speech, Thomas-Symonds said he “will make no apology for banging the drum for policing in my job”, and went on to say how proud he was that it was the last Labour Government who drove up police officer numbers, staff, and PCSOs.

On police pay, he argued it “beggars belief” for the Conservatives to “turn their backs” on a fair pay settlement, citing that Ministers effectively rode “roughshod” over the work of the Police Remuneration Body.

He went on to say that Labour would prioritise delivering a plan to help tackle violence against women and girls, new protections for victims of crime, tougher penalties for attacks on emergency service workers, tackling anti-social behaviour, and making sure we have police in our communities.

He remarked how he wanted the public to feel safe on our streets and to not be fearful of serious violent crime. He said “Labour wants to make it a reality to make our streets safer, tackle crime, take away incentives for criminals and know that our young people can grow up in the safest country in the world. As Home Secretary, my priority – Labour’s priority – would be to keep you, your family and your community safe.”

He told officers these aspirations will remain unachieved “unless you have the full backing, respect and confidence of the government of the day.” And that “with Labour, you can be sure you do and will.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• Nick Thomas-Symonds’s speech to the Annual Police Superintendents Association:

Thank you for the invitation to be with you all today.

It is a great honour for me to speak at this conference – I know how important moments like this are for the Police Superintendents Association with this being your first physical conference since the pandemic.

And I want to say a special thank you to Paul Griffiths, your President and Dan Murphy, your National Secretary – for their leadership, and for the positive, constructive relationship we have developed over the past seventeen months. They have – continuously - made sure that the voice of Police Superintendents is heard at Westminster and with our monthly meetings, they have made sure that I am caught up on the issues that are affecting you all.

And I know that this organisation – and all of your members - play an absolutely critical role in keeping our communities safe and helping to deliver the best possible deal for officers.

You are leaders in the world of policing – and your time is key.

So the significance of this opportunity to speak with you today is not lost on me, and I look forward to setting out my thoughts and having a discussion afterwards.

I would like to start by saying thank you to all of you, for the incredible work your members – and the teams they oversee – do to keep us safe.

When I was writing this speech, I was stopped in my tracks by a recent report from the Association.

When Paul unveiled a memorial to Gerry Richardson - a superintendent killed, 50 years ago this year.

Shot on duty when apprehending an armed robber – and posthumously awarded the George Cross for bravery.

It was an incredibly powerful story – not only because of the service Gerry Richardson gave to our country – making the ultimate sacrifice to keep his community safe.

But it also acts as a powerful reminder – that throughout their history, our police officers have shown remarkable commitment to this remarkable job.

Displaying a level of bravery that is a true inspiration.

It has always been that way – and our police officers continue to show that dedication, day in day out.

It’s why the National Police Memorial, the dedication of which I was proud to attend, alongside Paul, is so moving.

It’s a partially open door, a permanent symbol of the risks officers face every day, on every shift, not knowing what awaits them on the other side.

We have seen it again, all too appallingly in recent years.

Just in the last two years we have seen the heart-breaking deaths of Matt Ratana and Andrew Harper.

Both remarkable men – true, brave public servants – senselessly taken from their families, friends and colleagues.

I have met with Andrew’s wife - Lissie – and it is impossible not to be moved by all that she has endured.

It’s absolutely clear that more has to be done to punish those

That is why it is so vital that you have a strong and effective Association.

I am proud that since being in the job of Shadow Home Secretary, I have seen what a powerful, articulate and passionate voice Paul is for his members.

As the history of the Police Superintendents Association shows – you have a vital place in British policing.

I work regularly with John Apter – and other members of the Police Federation – and I know how closely you all work together.

However, while many challenges are shared between the Federation and you – and I will come on to the issue of your disgraceful pay offer later – there are many unique challenges that face the superintendents and chief superintendents in the police forces you represent.

To be frank – many of your members have some of the most stressful jobs imaginable, not just in policing – but anywhere.

We rightly talk about the extraordinary bravery officers show on the frontline – and I know many of your members still face those risks.

But there is also a huge responsibility that rest on the shoulders of senior officers, in areas like:

• Being the senior decision-maker during huge operational incidents.

• Running units undertaking dangerous work on areas like violent crime and safeguarding.

• Or deciding where to focus limited resources, knowing the impact your decision can make on people’s lives every single day.

This is major decision making - on a daily basis - that has far reaching consequences. And I have such a great deal of respect for the work you lead.

That inevitable pressure also shows why it is vital that you have good representation to lean on – and the support of colleagues who are going through similar challenges. And I know this Association plays that role for many of its members.

And I will make no apology for banging the drum for policing in my job.

I know the pressures that have been put on senior police officers.

Years of being asked to do more and more – in a world of increasingly complex crime – with fewer and fewer resources.

At times, it must have felt like pressure was unrelenting.

It is completely unsustainable to have cut 21,000 officers from the police – while driving down staff and PCSO numbers and continuing to have a real-term pay deduction in your budgets. But this Government are still asking and expecting the same results.

And it causes further issues down the line. I’ve heard recently during a very generous meeting with Wolverhampton police, one of the youngest forces in the country, that there are real challenges with trying to integrate new young officers into the jobs, without the increase in police staff to help.

I realise this is a major issue for senior leaders like you.

It also makes me angry, as things should not have got to this point.

If you will allow me to say – I am proud that the last Labour government drove up police office numbers, police staff numbers and PCSOs.

We have a continued commitment to community policing – because we know the damage crime does. It can strike anyone – and be devastating. But time and again it’s our poorest communities who are hardest hit.

We also realise – as I hear so often from police officers I meet – that when it comes to some of the worst crimes, especially those involving safeguarding, youth violence or drugs – you cannot only arrest your way out of the problem, however outstanding our frontline officers are.

That is why I get so angry when I see police officers time and again becoming the fallback service, where all others have failed.

As it was put to me yesterday at the Police Fed, you are the service that never says no.

Nowhere is that more evident that the huge gap in services we are seeing for mental health and addiction.

When I am out with officers – and I’ve been privileged to join officers on shift - they don’t begrudge helping those in desperate need. However, it’s not the best use of their time – and there should be specialists trained for that kind of work.

I know this must be a huge headache for senior officers, when looking to plan resources.

All too often the heavy load of failing systems is falling on the police, it’s not right, it’s not fair on police or people in need of help – we simply cannot go on like this. We need a Government that understands those pressures – and acts on them.

And that has to involve investing in those preventative services again, that have been decimated.

And of course – one of the areas where we have seen the impact in cuts to investment on the people you lead most starkly is in the shameful decision by this government to insist on a pay freeze for police officers. Let’s call it what it is – a real terms pay cut for the police.

I know how insulted many of you here will have been by that decision – and rightly so.

I am proud that as a country we came together to clap for those serving so bravely through the lockdowns and pandemic.

It was an important – but sadly rare – moment when we recognised the true value of the real heroes in society.

However – it beggars belief that members of the government were happy to clap for heroes, but when it came to delivering a fair pay settlement – they turned their backs.

It was especially shameful when Ministers effectively rode roughshod over the work of the Police Remuneration Review Body.

It’s completely unacceptable to ignore the views of the Body – or tie their hands so firmly that they cannot even recommend a fair settlement.

And I am sure that this was not only a disappointment to many superintendents and chief superintendents personally – but also made their jobs even harder.

Lifting the morale of officers and staff after news like that must be an enormous challenge – which very unfairly falls to your members.

And I know that the Association has taken the decision to withdraw itself from the Police Remuneration Review Body. I know that was not an easy decision but a necessary one when they balance of power is so unfair.

I know that this session has time for questions.

And as part of that, I want to hear from you – as leaders in the world of policing - about the challenges you face today, as well as the opportunities and difficulties the future presents.

But first, let me share with you what Labour would prioritise, working alongside you. We will:

• Deliver a plan to help tackle the appalling violence women and girls continue to face in this country, whilst driving up conviction rates for rape and sexual assault.

• Develop new protections and support for victims of crime – to help people when they need it the most: a Victims’ Law that ensures there is the specialist help required.

• Press for tougher penalties for those who attack emergency service workers – and for a fully, properly independent police covenant that actually does what it is supposed to, and protect policing up and down the country.

• Work to put extra investment into tackling anti-social behaviour, that can be such a blight for communities.

• We will make sure that we have our police in our communities, fundamental in instilling public confidence in the Police.

Many senior officers I have met have told me how passionate and committed they are to driving up diversity in recruitment across policing.

That’s a passion I share – and I want to see how we can help your efforts in this vital work.

I want people to feel safe on our streets, to not be fearful of serious violent crime that is sadly on the rise. Crime can be tackled, it can be driven down not by Officers filling out paperwork but on the streets, in neighbourhoods, in communities where the vital trust can be built where criminals fear once again.

I know you all come into this role so that you can make society a better place – we must start from this principle so that we can build that future where young people aspire to do well and not end up in a life of crime, in a gang.

That we have sufficient support services so people can be treated and looked after. That aspiration can be a reality, I am saying today that Labour wants to make it a reality to make our streets safer, tackle crime, take away incentives for criminals and know that our young people can grow up in the safest country in the world. As Home Secretary, my priority – Labour’s priority – would be to keep you, your family and your community safe.

But all of these aspirations – will remain only that – unless you have the full backing, respect and confidence of the government of the day. With Labour, you can be sure you do and will.

So I really look forward to speaking with you all – and listening to your ideas, about what works well in policing now – what can we build on and what are the areas that really need to change quickly.

You are the experts – the leaders in your field – I’m so grateful for your time and look forward to a discussion.

Thank you so much for having me this afternoon.