Demands by Tatton MP Esther McVey the next Prime Minister commits to giving Cheshire Police officers a guarantee in law they will be looked after both in and out of the job is attracting widespread support in Westminster.
Ms McVey said officers put their lives on the line each day to protect the public and they should be recognised for their dedication.
Today(THURS) Ms McVey published an open letter to both Conservative leadership contenders Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt urging them to commit to a Police Covenant, which would recognise the risks officers take, guarantee inflation-proof pay rises each year and set out how they will be supported.
Ms McVey said: “The police have been asked to do more with less and while the police continue to deliver outstanding service, it is time to show them we are on their side.
“Both Boris and Jeremy have spoken about the need to increase resources and I am delighted both of them are talking about police funding and police numbers, as I have been doing in recent months as part of the Blue Collar Conservatism agenda.
“Since 2010 funding from central government has fallen by about 30 per cent and police numbers have fallen by more than 20,000. We had to make tough decisions because of the economic mess less by Labour and rebalance the economy, but now we have done that we need to increase police funding. We have been asking them to do more with less and they have continued to deliver but we need to make sure the police have the resources they need to do their job. I want to see the next Prime Minister make it a priority to introduce a Police Covenant which would sit alongside the one the Conservative Party brought in for the Armed Forces.”
More than 20 MPs have added their names to the letter which sets out demands they want the new PM to meet. The MPs believe committing to a Covenant would recognise the challenges officers face and the support needed at different stages of their career, and would also offer guaranteed support to those who have suffered physical or mental injuries as part of their job.
Ms McVey added: “This week I spoke with the National Police Federation who are backing the idea and more and more MPs are getting on board. We will keep gathering momentum and put pressure on either Boris or Jeremy to make it happen. All MPs know the excellent work our individual forces do day in day out to protect us and it is time their hard work was recognised. I want the Conservative Party to be the party of law and order once more.”
