PFEW responds to the news that the UK economy has returned to a recession
Wednesday, 25 April, 2012
Responding to news that the UK economy has returned to a recession, Paul McKeever, Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, says:
"Today's news flies in the face of the Government's mantra that cuts to public services were essential to solve the country's fiscal problems. The police service is already struggling to deal with the severe budget cut of 20% over four years and earlier this week the Chief Secretary to the Treasury warned that further cuts are needed.
"Today's news shows that changes to policing are ideological changes and little to do with saving money or improving the service the public receive. This is all about creating a platform for privatisation by stealth and not about ensuring the public have a police service that they want.
"Police officers and their families will despair at today's news. Like others in the public sector they already face a two-year pay freeze and increased pension contributions. In addition, they face an unprecedented attack on their working terms and conditions. Today they hear it is for nothing; not for a solution to the UK's economic debt; purely to open doors for the private sector to take over vast swaths of policing and destroy the finest police service in the world."
