Brian Booth, Acting National Chair

For 107 years, the Police Federation has existed to represent and support police officers. Our role and work has changed with policing during that time, but the biggest change in our history is just around the corner.

On 22 September, we will come together to consider proposals that could fundamentally reshape our organisation and its future and put members at the centre of everything we do.

We must be honest about why this is necessary. The Federation has made some serious mistakes and fallen short of certain standards our members rightly expect. We face legitimate questions about our leadership, governance, culture and effectiveness. Carrying on as before is not an option. Our current rulebook is not fit for purpose.

The Transformation Programme is our opportunity to build something stronger.

The proposals are designed to create clearer national leadership, stronger governance and accountability, better support for branches and representatives, and a Federation better able to turn members’ needs into national action. Among a list of changes, we are proposing a single leadership role, eliminating the confusing split between National Chair and National Secretary, a leaner National Board with more expertise on tap that can hold the CEO to account, a stronger National Council able to challenge the Board, and fewer jobs in Leatherhead with more resources freed up to support regions and branches.

At the heart of these proposals is one overriding principle – members must come first.

Members should be able to see who leads, who makes decisions and who is accountable. Branches will always remain central, with the freedom to run themselves and local experience helping to shape national policy, campaigns, negotiations and decisions. Our Fed reps must have the support, training and expertise they need to represent members effectively..

But changing structures will not be enough. Real transformation demands a culture of accountability, openness, professionalism, collaboration, challenge and learning from our mistakes. It requires us to judge change by a simple test which begins with asking will this make the Federation better at fighting for its members?

That has been at the front of Board members’ minds over an intensive five months process where the proposals have been debated, refined and designed.

The proposals will be discussed and decided at the National Council meeting on 22 September. It will be an opportunity for Council members to debate and make them stronger. Council members have been involved in the debates and design of what we want to move forward with.

The stakes are high. We should be under no illusions that things can stay the way they currently are. If we do not take control ourselves then others will do it to us. On a previous occasion when non-members tried to reform the Federation we were left saddled with the present set-up – which has now been found so badly wanting.

I recognise that the change ahead is significant and it may not always be comfortable. But we have an opportunity to build a Federation that members can trust, branches can rely on and that can represent police officers with authority, determination and impact. We need to seize this opportunity.

The biggest change in our 107-year history is taking shape. Together, we must make sure we get it right, and I promise we will.