Leicestershire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Lord Willy
Bach, had called the police pay award "a cynical deception of
which Her Majesty's Government should be ashamed".
Yesterday (12 September) the Government announced that
police officers would receive a one-off 1 per cent bonus, paid
over 12 months September 2017 to August 2018, in addition to a 1
per cent increase in base salary. The bonus is non-pensionable,
does not include over-time or allowances for specialised work and
will be paid on a monthly basis.
Responding to the announcement Willy Bach said: "For seven
long years Her Majesty's Government has attacked the police in
two ways.
"Firstly, it has continually depressed police pay well
below inflation - something now running at 2.9 per cent. These
courageous individuals who put their lives on the line to keep us
safe deserve better.
"Secondly, over the same period, it has shrivelled police
budgets. In 2010 our grant from central government was £132
million. This year it's down to £105 million; it's forecast to be
£97 million in 2021. This inevitably leads to there being less
police officers to protect the public.
"This week, Her Majesty's Government has offered Police
Officers a 1 per cent bonus for the next calendar year - albeit
non-pensionable. On its own this is of course to be
welcomed.
"But who is to pay for this extra 1 per cent? You might
have thought it would be the Government putting its money where
its mouth is. But you would be wrong! Her Majesty's Government is
not putting a penny piece into this bonus.
"This money is to come from the already absurdly reduced
Leicestershire Police Budget. What will the inevitable
consequence be? It will mean that in the years to come, more
Police Officers' jobs will go in order that the Budget can
be balanced, as it has to be by law.
"Meanwhile the Government pays no attention to the policing
needs of a growing and diverse community. No-one should be fooled
into applauding this as an act of generosity. On the contrary it
is a cynical deception of which Her Majesty's Government should
be ashamed."
