‘Government must respect independence of PRRB’

15 August 2022

Hertfordshire Police Federation chair Luke Mitchell says the cost of living crisis is having a huge impact on officers as he called for a truly independent body to set salaries.

Luke said it was unacceptable that some officers were relying on food banks as the cost of living soars following a decade of pay cuts and freezes.

Now he has called on the Government to ensure that the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) is allowed to function independently when it sets pay awards.

Luke said: “We were all disgusted earlier this year when MPs accepted the pay rise recommended by their review body when police officers had been subject to a pay freeze and had seen real-terms wages drop by a fifth over the last decade.

“Now we’re in a cost of living crisis, energy bills are out of control, food prices are soaring, and officers are having to make really difficult decisions.

“It’s unacceptable some are relying on food banks while others are living payday to payday. Enough is enough.

“Which is why we’re asking that the Government respects the PRRB’s independence rather than restricting what it can consider and put forward in terms of officer pay.”

His comments were echoed by the chair of the Police Federation for England and Wales (PFEW), Steve Hartshorn, who has called for “a reset of relations with the Government”.

The PFEW last year withdrew its support and engagement with the PRRB, labelling the mechanism as “not fit for purpose”.

Steve said: “The independence of the PRRB must be upheld and not influenced by the Government by way of a remit to enable officers to have a fair pay mechanism, and the P-factor payment exclusive to policing must be included to ensure officers are paid fairly for the risks they take.

“We seek assurances from the Government that next year the PRRB will not be restrained by an unfair remit set by the Home Office, and that the unsustainable real-terms pay cut is addressed to ensure our members can afford to do the job they signed up for.

“We asked for a reset of relations with the Government, which is needed to ensure that the voice of our members is heard loud and clear at all levels of the Government every time decisions are made affecting their day-to-day lives.”