CEO announces three new initiatives to support members

19 December 2025

The chief executive of the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) announced three ‘commitments’ to support members in his keynote speech to this year's conference.

Mukund Krishna unveiled a trio of initiatives which aim to reshape policing culture and welfare, as well as national understanding of the realities of the frontline.

The first was to produce an annual report called The Real State of Policing, with the first to be released ahead of next year’s conference season.

It would provide an alternative perspective to the ‘HMICFRS top-down’ State of Policing report, conference was told.

 

 

Mukund said the report would ‘reflect the true views of our members on kit, leadership, culture, shift patterns, and welfare’.

In a separate statement announcing the report, Mukund added the report would ‘highlight which forces are in serious difficulty on demand, capacity, welfare, resignations and workload’.

He said: “Crucially, it will give a voice to rank and file officers, on the world they live in every day.

“This is not a PEEL inspection but rather an evidence-based assessment of how sustainable the job is.

Policymakers

“The HMICFRS explains what policing does: we will explain what policing costs the people who do it.

“The Real State of Policing report will give policymakers, the public and policing leaders a clearer view of the strain on officers.

“It will make sure that the lived experience of those delivering policing is recognised and not set aside.”

The second commitment announced to conference centred around ‘restoring dignity’.

Mukund said: “Starting next year, we will roll out a Victim and Witness Support Programme because we have a moral responsibility to treat each other with dignity.”

And the third was a commitment to Federation reps and their welfare.

Mukund said: “Next year, we will introduce a Welfare Programme for Federation representatives because supporting our reps means better support for our members.”

He made the announcement during his keynote speech on the opening day of the conference at the NEC in Birmingham.

Liabilities

Mukund opened his address with praise for the ‘amazing work’ of Federation reps and staff, before reflecting on the past three years.

He said: “We faced potential financial liabilities of over £100 million, with significantly lower sums in the bank. If that’s not an existential crisis, I don’t know what is.

“Fast forward to today: we’ve settled for less than a third of that amount, paid out the largest group litigation in our Federation’s history, possibly in policing history, and we’re on track to resolve the remaining case by year-end.

“This achievement was possible because of your leadership – branch chairs, secretaries, regional reps and the tireless work of our staff and management team. You should be immensely proud.”

And he used his speech to highlight the work the Federation does for members.

He said: “In the last three years, we’ve secured £150 million in compensation for members.

“This year alone, we’ve delivered over £40 million, with every penny going back to the membership.

“We’ve invested £35 million of subscription funds to achieve these wins, hiring top barristers and lawyers, and supporting reps who work tirelessly on the ground.

Claims

“We’ve processed 20,000-member claims; real people doing real work, not AI or automation.

“We’ve seen record engagement: 1,600 reps nominated in elections, unprecedented levels of interest, and record numbers of women chairs in branches.

“These achievements show we are making an impact. Just two weeks ago, we secured a seven-figure settlement for a member on top of the £42 million already delivered this year. “

Mukund concluded by urging unity and resolve as the Federation enters its next phase.

He said: “When we are surrounded by people who believe in what we believe, remarkable things happen.

“We won’t agree on everything. But constructive challenge lifts the quality of our discussions and leads to better decisions. So, let’s stay strong. We are one team. There is strength in unity. Let’s stand united in purpose.”

READ MORE: On this year's Conference in our latest magazine.