Public funding for Police Federation to be stopped

The Home Secretary Theresa May read the riot act to the Police Federation today following a series of scandals.

She told them, if they didn't bring in reforms themselves, the government would do it for them by law.

Federation Leaders have called her speech a vitriolic attack, but members voted to adopt some changes.

ITV News' Lewis Vaughan Jones reports.

The Shadow Home Secretary has said the Police Federation needs to "seize the moment" and bring in changes.

Yvette Cooper questioned whether a speech made by the Home Secretary would make it more or less likely that reforms would go ahead in the Police Federation - or be far-reaching enough.

Theresa May told the federation's annual conference that if changes were not made of the organisation's own accord, the government "will impose change on you."

The Shadow Home Secretary also said that it was important to recognise the majority of police officers were working hard "to do a demanding job in difficult circumstances."

Representatives of the Police Federation are calling for an apology from the Home Secretary Theresa May after she gave a speech at the annual conference telling them to "face up to reality", and announcing the withdrawal of public funding.

Ian Hanson, chairman of Greater Manchester Police Federation, said: "Theresa May demeaned the office of Home Secretary this morning in a vitriolic attack not only on the Police Federation but on every police officer in the country."

"Much has been said about professionalism and standards of behaviour in recent times - today Mrs May went too far and should apologise", he added.

The Home Secretary said it was "not acceptable" that the Police Federation received public funding when it was sitting on "vast reserves" worth tens of millions of pounds.

In a speech to around 2,000 officers at the Police Federation annual conference, Theresa May announced the organisation would not receive public funding of £190,000 a year from August.

She said: "It is not acceptable that when the Federation is sitting on vast reserves worth tens of millions of pounds, it is in receipt of public funds to pay for salaries and expenses of the chairman, general secretary and treasurer.

"We have already said we would reduce this spending from £320,000 to £190,000 per year but I can announce today that this funding will be stopped altogether from August.

"Instead, the money will go into a new fund to accelerate the introduction of Police First - a new scheme designed to attract the brightest young university graduates into the police."

Public funding for the Police Federation will be "stopped altogether" from August, from its current level of £190,000 a year, the Home Secretary has told the organisation's annual conference in Bournemouth.

Home Secretary Theresa May will deliver the keynote speech to the Police Federation annual conference in Bournemouth today.

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