Police in silent snub to cuts-campaign May

Delegates at the Police Federation’s annual conference in Bournemouth refused to applaud Mrs May’s speech after she warned them she would not back down on plans that could see some officers lose up to £4,000 a year.

The uncomfortable silence was followed by a hostile question-and-answer session, including an appearance via videolink by Pc David Rathband, the Northumbria Police officer blinded by killer Raoul Moat.

Pc Rathband, a 43-year-old father of two who was shot in the face during Moat’s rampage last year, asked Mrs May: “I was paid £35,000 last year. Do you think I’m paid too much?”

Morale among rank-and-file officers has been low since March, when former rail regulator Tom Winsor outlined a series of proposals which he claimed could shave £485m from the annual police wage bill.

The proposed reforms, coupled with Government plans to cut police spending by 20 per cent over four years, have prompted Police Federation chairman Paul McKeever to accuse Ministers of treating officers unfairly in their attempt to tackle the deficit.

But Mrs May said it was “simply not true” that the Government was singling out police over the cuts.

She insisted Ministers were “doing everything we can to protect frontline jobs”, but added: “The fact remains that police pay and conditions have to be part of the package when 80 per cent of forces’ spending goes on pay.”

However, Mrs May made a concession on pension reform, assuring officers that their pensions would be “considered separately from the rest of the public sector” in recognition of their unique role.

Responding to Pc Rathband’s question, Mrs May said: “I’m not sitting here saying to any individual officer your pay is wrong.”

She said she simply asked Mr Winsor to review pay and conditions across the board to see what savings could be made.

But Mrs May’s answer did not allay the fears of some delegates, who argued that her proposals failed to recognise the hardship officers can face.

“I will have colleagues who can’t pay their mortgages,” said South Yorkshire Police Federation member Mark Holmes. “She will have colleagues who don’t even know when it’s paid off.”