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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Smith 'betrayed' police over pay | Smith 'betrayed' police over pay |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The home secretary has "betrayed the police service" by refusing to backdate a 2.5% pay rise, the chairman of the Police Federation has said. | The home secretary has "betrayed the police service" by refusing to backdate a 2.5% pay rise, the chairman of the Police Federation has said. |
| Jan Berry told its annual conference that Jacqui's Smith decision, which affects Wales, England and N Ireland, had been "a monumental mistake". | Jan Berry told its annual conference that Jacqui's Smith decision, which affects Wales, England and N Ireland, had been "a monumental mistake". |
| But Ms Smith said she stood by her decision, adding that it had been taken "only after a lot of thought". | But Ms Smith said she stood by her decision, adding that it had been taken "only after a lot of thought". |
| On Tuesday, federation members voted to lobby for the right to strike. | On Tuesday, federation members voted to lobby for the right to strike. |
| Ms Berry praised the home secretary for having the courage to face the Bournemouth conference, but said: "Your decision not to honour the pay award was a breach of faith. | Ms Berry praised the home secretary for having the courage to face the Bournemouth conference, but said: "Your decision not to honour the pay award was a breach of faith. |
| "It was a monumental mistake, and I don't say this lightly when I say you betrayed the police service." | "It was a monumental mistake, and I don't say this lightly when I say you betrayed the police service." |
| Ms Smith later addressed the 1,000 delegates herself. | Ms Smith later addressed the 1,000 delegates herself. |
| Ms Smith was told that she had "betrayed" us as blow after blow rained on her head Nick RobinsonBBC political editor class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/2008/05/police_beat_up.html">Read Nick's blog "I know you strongly disagree with the decision," she said, "but it was one that I took only after a lot of thought, after considering the full facts of the case, the need to keep mortgages and the cost of living under control - and that includes your mortgages and your families' cost of living as well. | |
| "And there was another crucial factor at play: affordability. And for that, read police officer numbers." | "And there was another crucial factor at play: affordability. And for that, read police officer numbers." |
| Ms Smith added: "Setting out on the road to the right to strike will only lead to a dead end." | Ms Smith added: "Setting out on the road to the right to strike will only lead to a dead end." |
| Review call | Review call |
| Last year, she decided not to backdate to September a 2.5% pay rise for police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The inept management of modernisation is nothing short of a scandal Jan BerryPolice Federation chairman | Last year, she decided not to backdate to September a 2.5% pay rise for police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The inept management of modernisation is nothing short of a scandal Jan BerryPolice Federation chairman |
| The police say this means their rise, only paid from December 2007, in reality amounts to 1.9%. Officers in Scotland, however, received the backdated rise. | The police say this means their rise, only paid from December 2007, in reality amounts to 1.9%. Officers in Scotland, however, received the backdated rise. |
| On Tuesday, police officers voted by a large majority to lobby the government for the right to take strike action over the decision. | On Tuesday, police officers voted by a large majority to lobby the government for the right to take strike action over the decision. |
| Ms Berry called for an independent review of policing and vowed that the federation's members would abide by its recommendations. | Ms Berry called for an independent review of policing and vowed that the federation's members would abide by its recommendations. |
| She said such a review was vital to come up with "a clear vision for 20th Century policing". | She said such a review was vital to come up with "a clear vision for 20th Century policing". |
| "The inept management of modernisation is nothing short of a scandal," Ms Berry said. | "The inept management of modernisation is nothing short of a scandal," Ms Berry said. |
| She also said all 16,000 police community support officers in England and Wales should be given the training to convert them into full-fledged officers. | She also said all 16,000 police community support officers in England and Wales should be given the training to convert them into full-fledged officers. |
| This, she said, would give the public what they want - "the bobby on the beat". | This, she said, would give the public what they want - "the bobby on the beat". |
| Ms Berry said the need to achieve targets and gather data had left the police "lost between statistics and reality". | Ms Berry said the need to achieve targets and gather data had left the police "lost between statistics and reality". |
| But she said the other extreme - where officers were only called to deal with conflict and serious incident - would lead to the police becoming "a paramilitary force". | But she said the other extreme - where officers were only called to deal with conflict and serious incident - would lead to the police becoming "a paramilitary force". |
| The chairman was not entirely critical of the government. She told the conference she believed the police force was "more professional now than ever before". | The chairman was not entirely critical of the government. She told the conference she believed the police force was "more professional now than ever before". |