‘Until we fix the present, we cannot effectively plan for the future’: Branch secretary meets MP

5 November 2026

Branch secretary Stu Bott met with Stuart Anderson, MP for South Shropshire, in late October to discuss the links between policing and the country’s defence strategy.

The meeting, held at Stuart’s constituency office in Bridgnorth, was part of West Mercia Police Federation’s commitment to regular meetings with MPs across the Force area to discuss issues affecting members.

Since making that commitment earlier this year, the Federation has held several meetings, led by branch chair Gareth Spreadbury, with Stu continuing the engagement with the latest meeting.

The meeting focused on Stuart’s other main parliamentary role as Shadow Minister for War Readiness, and on how a fully funded and resourced police force serves the UK’s best interests in preparing for future conflict.

Improved pay

Stu says this focus enabled the pair to add a layer of justification to the profession’s need for improved pay, conditions, recruitment, retention and wellbeing support, among other measures.

“It was a pleasure to meet with Stuart, and I am pleased we have now opened a line of communication with him as a Federation. I think we both got a lot out of our discussion, which is hopefully a sign of things to come moving forward,” Stu said. 

“Together, we built an argument for why policing requires better support from the Government, using the angle of civil defence and war readiness in times of increased international uncertainty.

“We looked at how important effective policing is in safeguarding our country, both in the present and in potential future periods of instability, and how our officers need the tools to meet current demands if they are ever to meet the demands they may be faced with one day.”

 

Branch secretary Stu Bott (left) meets with Stuart Anderson, MP for South Shropshire

 

Going into further detail, Stu says the meeting opened by establishing the vital position of policing within the UK’s resilience framework, which Stuart agreed must be in good order ahead of a crisis, rather than in response to one.

Stu went on to argue that such an event would redefine frontline duties for the nation’s police officers, where they would be expected to support military mobilisation, protect infrastructure and maintain public order on top of providing a typical day-to-day service.

In extreme circumstances, he added that police may even be required to assist with evacuations and respond to hostile state activity.

“This raises questions about policing’s surge capacity, and how equipped it would be to absorb additional responsibilities around national security,” continued Stu.

Public confidence

“If this isn’t addressed proactively, potential consequences could include increased response times, lower officer visibility and reduced public confidence.

“In reality, these are things we are already seeing on a daily basis due to the operational demand put on officers against the backdrop of an under-resourced workforce – and until we fix the present, we cannot effectively plan for the future.”

With the meeting’s focus on the climate of modern policing, Stu says he referenced the latest Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) Pay and Morale Survey to show how much dissatisfaction currently exists among West Mercia Police officers.

Headline findings from the survey included 71 per cent of respondents from the Force reporting their workloads as too high or much too high, and 65 per cent saying they felt unsafe on duty because of recent staffing levels – compared with national figures of 63 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively.

“I also raised themes from the 2026 PFEW Annual Conference, which declared a public health emergency in British policing,” Stu continued.

Exhausted

“I wanted to highlight how many feel we are operating a broken service, which is struggling to retain experienced officers and creating heightened training costs for a younger workforce who are underpaid and both physically and mentally exhausted.

“To me, it is clear how much reform the profession needs for today before we can even think about expanding its capabilities for the future.”

Following their discussion, Stu has shared further positive communication already received from Stuart.

The Conservative MP of seven years said he had written to the Home Office to express concerns shared in Bridgnorth, specifically around pay, retention, funding to create genuine workforce resilience, and recognition of policing as a critical component of UK war readiness. 

Stu also confirmed Stuart has requested a follow-up meeting in the new year to review the feedback from this enquiry.

“To have these next steps already set up so soon after our initial dialogue is encouraging. Urgency is what our members deserve, and creating change and further conversations is exactly why we are speaking to our local MPs,” ended Stu.

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