Starting salaries for new police recruits are to be cut by nearly a fifth as part of an overhaul of pay and conditions, Home Secretary Theresa May announced today.
Mrs May told MPs that she would be cutting the starting salary for police constables with no previous experience by more than £4,000 to £19,000 in line with recommendations from a report by former rail regulator Tom Winsor.
It proposed a series of reforms to pay and conditions, designed to divert more money to frontline officers and improve efficiency, in a package opposed by rank and file leaders.
Mrs May said today, however, that she would be pressing ahead with key parts of Mr Winsor’s proposals after they were given the go-ahead by the Police Arbitration Tribunal. It means that new recruits with no experience will start on £19,000, compared with the current figure of £23,259, although those who have worked as special constables or as community support officers will begin on £22,000.
Officers in London will also receive up to about £6,615 extra to reflect the higher cost of living.
The Home Secretary said the changes would “re-target pay to reward contribution” and increase flexibility. The Police Federation said it was “disappointed”, while Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs select committee, said it would damage morale in the police force which was already at “an all-time low”.
