MPs must urgently explain why officers have had a 25% real terms pay cut since 2010, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.<\/p>\n
Chair Steve Kent has endorsed EDM 547, an Early Day Motion tabled by South Shields MP Emma Lewell-Buck about police pay.<\/p>\n
Steve said: \u201cPolice officers need to get behind this. We need them to see our officers fairly paid. We need to attract the right people into policing. We have to be compensated for the physical dangers we take and for the risk of litigation that we take every day. The imbalance needs to be redressed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is really important. We are already hearing about 2% next year, but that needs to be followed with consistent large pay rises. Going back down to 2% when inflation is skyrocketing is just going to mean officers are going to be poorer. And let\u2019s be fair, how does that attract people into policing when you can earn more money working in a warehouse than you can starting as a police officer? It\u2019s absolutely ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n
20 MPs from Labour, DUP, Plaid Cymru, the Scottish Nationalists and the Green Party, have signed the EDM, which was tabled last month.
\nIt said: \u201cThat this House recognises the outstanding contributions made by police officers to the security and wellbeing of communities across the UK; and notes that the Police Federation of England and Wales is calling for the Government to urgently explain how more than a 25 per cent real-terms pay cut since 2010, which is set to increase further with rises in the cost of living and inflation, can be justified given the significant risks to life which police officers carry regularly when performing their vital day-to-day duties.\u201d<\/p>\n