Party Political Conferences Must Address Policing Issues

28 September 2023

Politicians need to address urgent policing issues at their upcoming party conferences, the Chair of Greater Manchester Police Federation has said.

The Labour Party conference is taking place in Liverpool and the Conservative Party conference in Manchester – this will be policed by Greater Manchester Police officers.

Mike Peake, Chair of Greater Manchester Police Federation, said: “As we enter the political party conference season, I ask all politicians to take a moment to think about the police officers who will have had their shift patterns changed, rest days cancelled, and no doubt have to work longer hours to keep them safe during their respective conference periods.

“In particular, GMP officers, who have already started supporting the efforts to protect those attending the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.”

He added that politicians must also consider the “emotive” issue of police pay, which he hoped would also be tackled at the upcoming Police Federation of England and Wales conference.

The conference takes place online on 10-11 October, and Mike said: “I am looking forward to a discussion around how PFEW can highlight the issues around police pay. Police pay is a constant and emotive subject, and policing is a vocation like no other that carries with it a great deal of risk.

“The risks and unique conditions that are associated with the role of a police officer should be better recognised by decision makers, and reflected in their pay.”

The PFEW conference will be facilitated by TalkTV presenter Ian Collins, and there will be sessions aimed at members, Federation reps, practitioners, policy decision-makers and key policing stakeholders. It is still unknown whether Home Secretary Suella Braverman will be making a speech.