Warm words need to be followed by clear actions
24 August 2026
The Prime Minister has reportedly said he wouldn’t forgive himself if he did not try to lessen the anguish of PC Andrew Harper’s family and is said to be seeking to prevent the early release of his killers.
I think it’s fair to say that police officers would not forgive him or his Government either – along with more than one million people who have signed a change.org petition calling on the Government to stop two men found guilty of PC Harper’s manslaughter being freed early.
We welcome Andy Burnham’s decision to ask the justice minister to find a way to keep these offenders in jail, but it seems incredible to me that just a few days after saying an exception could not be made, the Prime Minister has apparently done a u-turn. Before it became clear he was backtracking, he said it was not possible, but then, after the strength of feeling of the public became apparent due to the petition, he seemed to be saying it was possible after all.
One of the solutions said to be on the table involves finding other ways of freeing up space in overcrowded prisons. Which begs the question, why were these options ruled out before?
PC Harper’s death did not just shock the police service; it also shocked the nation. His widow, Lissie, successfully campaigned for a change in the law which means that anyone who kills an emergency worker while carrying out a crime faces a mandatory life sentence. Harper’s Law should ensure that no other family should face the added, and considerable, anguish that PC Harper’s family have endured over the last few weeks. But, for now, all we can do is stand with PC Harper’s family to show that the police service is united in supporting them.
This whole debacle, it is fair to say, has just been another blow to everyone within the police service; another sign that successive governments have trotted out warm words of support for policing and yet been short of following up these words with actions.
Take for example, this year’s pay award. The Government chose to ignore the recommendations of the supposedly independent Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB). Officers will get a 3.5 per cent pay rise from 1 September this year even though PRRB recommended an increase of 3.9 per cent.
What is the point in PRRB considering evidence from stakeholders and putting forward what it considers to be a fair award, if the Government just goes ahead and ignores it? I am pretty sure politicians accept the findings of their own pay review body. It’s farcical really, and yet another slap in the face for officers who have suffered a 21 per cent real terms reduction in their pay in the last 10 years. This will do little to stem the recruitment and retention crisis that is already crippling the police service, something that is highlighted in the latest police workforce and wellbeing survey conducted by the National Police Wellbeing Service (Oscar Kilo).
These developments are all set against the backdrop of the annual Care of Police Survivors service of remembrance which was held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on Sunday 9 August.
This service, which is attended by the families of fallen officers, as well as officers of all ranks and representatives of the Home Office, local Government and policing bodies, honours the memory of colleagues who have lost their lives while serving their communities, showing them their sacrifice is not forgotten.
This service alone should be enough to demonstrate the unique role police officers play in society. All too often they give their lives while seeking to protect others and yet where is the protection and consideration that should be afforded to them as a result?
