Labour MPs support amendments to bill

29 September 2021

Members of the Federation’s Parliamentary Sub-Committee have met with leading Labour politicians to discuss a number of key policing issues.

These included the Federation’s latest campaigns over officers’ zero per cent pay award, officer wellbeing, amendments to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill aimed at ensuring police drivers are better protected in law, changes to Section 163 which would require drivers to get out of their car when asked to by a police officer and the Time Limits initiative, which aims to bring a half to long-drawn-out conduct inquiries.

“We had a very productive meeting,” says the sub-committee’s secretary, Tiff Lynch, “There was a broad support for our campaigns and several MPs have agreed to speak in Parliament to raise our concerns.

“The MPs were also keen to hear if the new sentencing on police assaults was having an impact since this came on the back of our Protect the Protectors campaign which was initially supported by Labour MP Holly Lynch who then helped us secure further backing.”

Holly, who is the MP for Halifax and shadow minister for crime reduction and courts, was at the meeting on Monday (27 September) along with shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds (MP for Torfaen in Gwent), shadow police minister Sarah Jones (Croydon Central, Jack Dromey (Erdington, West Midlands), Emma Hardy (Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle), Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton) and Jessica Morden (Newport East).

The Federation team included national Federation chair John Apter, vice-chair Ché Donald and Tim Rogers, deputy secretary of West Midlands Police Federation and the national Federation lead on police pursuits and driver training.

Tim said afterwards: “The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill introduces a new standard to which police drivers must conform and linked to their training and their forces’ policies. But we have concerns about the practicality of this approach and want to see a reasonableness clause added since policies and training cannot anticipate, regulate, train and license every eventuality. They need the flexibility to respond legally to the incidents they encounter.

“The MPs listened to our evidence and have agreed to support the amendments.”

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is currently being considered in the House of Lords before returning to the House of Commons. It is expected to become law early next year.