New Year open letter to Home Secretary from Jan Berry

Dear Home Secretary, 
 
I appreciate the last six weeks have been anything but quiet for you as you have experienced first hand the unity and strength of feeling of the 140,000 police officers across England and Wales, who are angry and bitterly disappointed that you have not honoured in full the decision of the independent Police Arbitration Tribunal and backdated 2.5% to 1st September. 
 
However, the New Year is traditionally a time to not only reflect on the past, but also look to the future. I hope you are not thinking this dispute will fade away; the strength of feeling about the injustice of this decision continues to grow, and you need to urgently restore faith police officers have in you and your office.
 
We know from leaked Home Office memos published recently in national newspapers that, in your early weeks in office, you received ill informed and extremely naïve counsel from advisors about how to hoodwink the public to gain their support on the police pay issue. These advisors have shown a complete lack of understanding of policing, police officers and the increasing outcry and support that has come from the public and politicians of all colours. Their advice, and the wording and tone of correspondence they drafted in your name, has been personally and professionally insulting to police officers.
 
I want to take this opportunity to offer an olive branch. It’s not too late to change course and stop this situation escalating. You know the mood of police officers, the public and many of your political colleagues. I can assure you, we have no intention of letting this go. 
 
I would ask you therefore to urgently reconsider the decision. Do the right thing for policing, for police officers and for the good of the country. Restore honour in the office of Home Secretary, rebuild trust with the police service and honour the decision of the independent Police Arbitration Tribunal in full.
 
Yours sincerely 
 
Mrs Jan Berry QPM
Chairman
The Police Federation of England and Wales