Police revolt against David Cameron's reform agenda

[babsbunny]

Police revolt against David Cameron's reform agenda

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/12/police-revolt-cameron-reform-agenda

Prime minister forced to retreat after calling riot tactics timid as ICM poll shows public side with police

Patrick Wintour, Sandra Laville and Vikram Dodd
guardian.co.uk, Friday 12 August 2011 21.18 BST

Senior police officers were in open revolt over the government's police reform agenda on Friday, reacting furiously to criticism of the way they handled the riots, and turning their fire on the home secretary, Theresa May, after she suggested she had instructed the police to take a tougher line.

Faced with an onslaught from all levels of the police, David Cameron tried to beat a retreat, lavishly praising the force after he and May had described police tactics in the Commons on Thursday as timid and highlighted police admissions that their initial plans to counter looting had been misguided.

Cameron is understood to have phoned Tim Godwin, the acting Metropolitan police commissioner, on Friday and the message was posted on the Met's internal communications system for its staff.

[sarge43]

1. "It's not that he puts his foot in his mouth; he does that all the time.

It's when he puts both in at the same time."

Lou Grant concerning another idiot, Ted Baxter.

[malaise]

2. Cameon and his government are in serious trouble

This plus his links to Murdoch should bring them down.

Orde set himself against Cameron's plans to allow outsiders to join the force at high ranks, saying: "The leadership of this service understands policing. We all started where our brave officers were the other day. We start at the bottom, we move up and we learn and we move on."

He also contradicted Cameron's claims that 20% cuts to police budgets in the next four years would have no impact on police visibility. He said: "Chief constables have minimised the impact on the frontline. We will have to have some very honest, straightforward conversations with government in years three and four. We have to understand what sort of service we want and what we want it to do, and not do."