Police campaign will target Tories

1:30pm Thursday 27th September 2012 in News

Police campaign will target Tories Police campaign will target Tories

West Mercia Police Federation is launching a “hard-hitting” advertising campaign alongside Warwickshire and West Midlands Police Federations in the run-up to the Conservative Party Conference.

The three police federation branches, which represent thousands of rank-and-file officers across the region, are launching the campaign with billboard sites throughout Birmingham in the run-up to conference, which is being held in the city from Sunday, October 7.

The campaign is being launched from outside the constituency office of Andrew Mitchell, the Government chief whip who came under fire last week after allegedly swearing at Downing Street police officers and calling them ‘plebs’.

Ken Mackaill, chairman of West Mercia Police Federation, said: “We feel the Prime Minister has failed to get to the bottom of this matter.

“It cannot be right that Mr Mitchell can deny making the comments attributed to him, contrary to the police officer’s notes, and yet not come out and say what he did say.

“If he did call police officers’ ‘plebs’, and we have no reason to doubt the integrity of the officers involved, it’s just another sign of the disrespect the Conservatives, the once heralded party of law and order, show to the police service.”

The campaign will also highlight the Government’s cuts to policing, with Mr Mackaill adding that ministers are going “too far and too fast” with the police cuts and the police’s ability to provide effective front-line services.

Comments(9)

Leeolitina says...
3:07pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Just because one Tory MP shows disrespect to a policeman, it doesn't mean that ALL Tories disrespect the police, which is what you are implying.
Talk about a storm in a teacup - aren't we all sick of hearing about it. If he was offensive they should have arrested him. Instead of wasting money on campaigns against the government you would think they would spend the money on front line policing instead of bleating on about it.

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Landy44 says...
3:19pm Thu 27 Sep 12

wddI fully respect and support our Police officers. They do a difficult job, often under difficult circumstances.

Frankly the MP in question has been a muppet, and his attitude stinks, but I'm sure most Police officers have endured far worse and shown the maturity and integrity to do their job in the face of it.
The Police federation are just using this episode which is storm in a teacup to protest against budget cuts made by the government (The cuts actually should have been DEEPER across the board, but with a focus on cutting bureacracy and empowering the Police officer at the sharp end). It's a poor show by the Police federation and shows our Police service in a bad light.
Politics is a corrupt environment, hold yourselves to higher standards and get on with the job. The PEOPLE of your country need you and support you.

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bobby47 says...
7:37pm Thu 27 Sep 12

This action by the Police is simply wrong and undermines democracy
The Police are a none political organisation and are not supposed to get involved in Politics.
This shouldn't be happening and if someone within the Police Service has a look at the rules they'll quickly see that what they are doing is against all that the Police stand for.
The incumbent Home Secretary should stop this now and encourage the Chief Constable to enforce the law and stop the organisation getting involved in a political issue.

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M@lvernite says...
7:41pm Thu 27 Sep 12

This sounds like an open invitation for anyone who has been let down by the police force to publicly demonstrate outside a police station. Some MP may have acted unprofessionally but that is no reason for the police to retaliate in kind.

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induby says...
9:37pm Thu 27 Sep 12

unlike everyone above I actually side with the police on this, here you have an MP who quite clearly thinks he is above the law, his use of the word pleb! and that classic line..." don't you know who i am?" and not forgetting to throw into the mix a few swear words, it shows a complete lack of respect and whilst i'm sure the police have heard a lot worse, as chief whip he should be setting an example, no one is above the law. but what really gets to me is this guy is a liar!! first of all he said he had a very difficult and testing day to actually find out that he had had a 2 hour lunch in a 5 star restaurant ( wow that must have been really taxing!), then to say he didn't use those words when not only were there 2 police accounts stating the same that he did in fact use the word pleb and moron but also members of the public witnessing it, the police are justified in there anger. why cant they express it?

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thompson9100 says...
12:53am Fri 28 Sep 12

Missing the point a little some posters, I have to say. The Police Federation is the rank and file officers union, much lime ACPO is to senior officers. Police can't bring politics into their jobs, but their union can shout about them as much as any other. The Federation is not funded from police budgets, but by its members, so they are not taking money from anywhere but their own pockets in the form of subs to pay for such campaigns. Also, ask yourself this: when can you remember a time that the police federation, ACPO and Unison have all been so outspoken about the same political issues at the same time? Think about that and tell me then that this is a non-issue.

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bobby47 says...
9:10pm Fri 28 Sep 12

Thompson9100, Kiddo, I aint attacking you but you are wrong and by virtue of the fact that both ACPO and the Federation are singing from the same hymn sheet and protesting against the Government is an involvement in Politics.
Unison can do whatever they like,but all ranks, who are forever defined as Constables of the Crown cannot involve themselves in Politics. Its as simple as that.
The reality is that Chief Constables up and down the Country are giving tacit approval to their Constables protesting against a political doctrine and whichever way you dress it this is the Police becoming a politically minded organisation. In simple terms the ranks are saying we dont like the Tory cuts and we want Mitchell out.
Me? I'm on the side of the Police but again, they shouldn'y be getting involved in this stuff.
My very warmest regards to you.

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M@lvernite says...
2:31pm Sat 29 Sep 12

The police federation may have made an attempt to distance itself from the police force, but it is still clear that it's members are police officers by definition. Regardless of it's members protesting in their own time and out of uniform it is still clear that they are police officers and are still representing their force even while off duty.

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bobby47 says...
5:03pm Sat 29 Sep 12

M@Ivernite, You have it the nail on the head kiddo. On or off duty...They are Police Officers twenty four hours a day.

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