26 October 2018

The Police Federation has begun legal proceedings against the Home Office after the department failed to deliver the pay rise recommended by an independent body the set up to set wages for two years in a row.

The staff association lodged an application for a Judicial Review into the lawfulness of the government's actions, with Chair of the Federation John Apter calling the situation "a disgrace" and a "betrayal".

The Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) was established by the current government to make evidence-based recommendations on pay rises for police officers across England and Wales, but its advice has been continually ignored. Rather than the 3% increase to wages that the board suggested this year, the government offered police officers an extra £2.50 a week.

Apter commented: "Now more than ever it is imperative pay is adequate and fair acknowledging the incredibly demanding job officers do. It is unacceptable to see officers struggling to make ends meet whilst working all the hours under the sun to keep the public safe because there simply aren’t enough officers to meet the increasing demand."