North East Herts MP Oliver Heald attended the rally in Westminster today, attended by over 22,000 Police Officers. Oliver was one of a number of MPs who attended the rally and who are supporting the Police Federation claim that the Government have broken trust by not paying the arbitration award in full. Oliver is a signatory on Keith Vaz’s Early Day Motion 512, which reads as follows:-
“That this House is disappointed by the failure of the Government to accept in full the recommendations of the Police Arbitration Tribunal police pay award; believes that the pay settlement should be backdated to 1st September; notes that the police are the front line in the fight against organised crime, terrorism and anti-social behaviour; recognises that their work puts them at great personal risk; further believes that this dispute over 0.6 per cent. difference is petty and needless; and calls upon the Government to reconsider its decision.”
Commenting, Oliver Heald said, “I was pleased to back Jan Berry and the Police Federation over this important matter of trust. The Police Pay Agreement has held for twenty eight years and it is quite wrong for the Government to break it. It was good to be able to meet a number of local Police Officers who had also attended the rally.”