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MPs: 'Bullying' Police Federation should refund members

The Police Federation has come in for a scathing attack from an influential group of MPs, who said the union should return part of their membership fee after it was found to have a £70m surplus. They were also accused of "bullying" and mismanagement.

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Police Federation needs 'radical and urgent reform'

If the Police Federation is to overcome allegations of bullying and mismanagement, they need to implement the findings of a wide-ranging report from a former senior civil servant, the Government said.

A Home Office spokesman urged the union to implement recommendations put forward by Sir David Normington, a former Home Office permanent secretary.

Police officers do a difficult and often dangerous job and they deserve a representative body that is transparent and accountable.

In his independent report into the Police Federation of England and Wales, Sir David Normington clearly identified the need for radical and urgent reform.

If the Federation is to have public legitimacy, the Normington recommendations must be implemented swiftly and in full.

– A Home Office spokesman

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Bullying at Police Federation 'rivals a soap opera'

Bullying is so endemic at the Police Federation that it "rivals any popular soap opera", the Chairman of an influential group of MPs said.

Keith Vaz, who runs the Home Affairs Select Committee, hit out at the Federation for bullying its chairman Steve Williams, who accused senior colleagues in the organisation of bullying him in a letter handed to the Committee as part of their inquiry.

We were shocked by the scale of bullying that we found at the Federation's Headquarters. It rivals any popular soap opera.

It is disgraceful that any chairman should have been hounded out for championing the long-overdue reforms set out in the Normington Report.

– Keith Vaz

MPs call for Police Federation to refund members

The Police Federation should refund part of its membership fee to tens of thousands of its rank-and-file officers after the union was found to be sitting on a £70 million surplus, MPs have said.

Read: Police Federation chiefs to retire after 'turbulent period'

The Police Federation has charged members for more than their operating costs, MPs found. Credit: PA

The Home Affairs Select Committee said the £70 million far outweighed the Federation's operation costs.

The money could be returned to members as part of a subscription rebate, alongside a year's membership freeze and further reductions in the future, MPs suggested.

A 50% reduction in reserves held by central committees would add up to a rebate of nearly £120 per member, the Committee's report added.

Membership to the Federation is automatic for all police officers.

Read: Report finds in-fighting and cash rows at Police Fed

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