The Police Federation of England and Wales today said it no longer has confidence in the Home Secretary after branding a bitterly opposed pay freeze for officers as 'the final straw'.
Priti Patel has confirmed police officers earning more than £24,000 would be hit by the freeze. Those earning less will be given an annual rise of £250.
The body, which represents rank-and-file officers, said the pay system was 'not fit for purpose' as it announced plans to withdraw its support from the body which reviews remuneration.
It comes as NHS unions were today criticised for 'whingeing' about receiving a 3 per cent pay rise as police and teachers pointed out that they had been given nothing despite also serving on the frontlines throughout the pandemic.
The Police Federation's national chairman John Apter said: 'We often hear the Home Secretary praise police officers but our members are so angry with this Government. They have been on the frontline of this pandemic for 18 months and will now see other public services given pay increases while they receive nothing.
'At the beginning of this pandemic they endured PPE shortages and were not even prioritised for the vaccination. They continue to be politicised and this pay announcement is the final straw.
'As the organisation that represents more than 130,000 police officers I can say quite categorically - we have no confidence in the current Home Secretary. I cannot look my colleagues in the eye and do nothing.'
But today police officers took to Twitter to point out they had received 'nothing', with some criticising health workers for 'whingeing'
Announcing the pay freeze in a written ministerial statement yesterday, Ms Patel said: 'This is in order to ensure fairness between public and private sector wage growth, as the private sector was significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic in the form of reduced hours, suppressed earnings growth and increased redundancies, whilst the public sector was largely shielded from these effects.'
NHS unions have been raging about the increase for nurses and other staff, which will be backdated to April, demanding up to 15 per cent after coronavirus heaped pressure on services.
The British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing are among the groups that have said they are looking at industrial action over the long-awaited settlement, which was trebled from an original offer of 1 per cent on the recommendation of a review body.
Yet amid a backlash, officers took to Twitter to complain of unfairness. Craig Symons tweeted: 'So NHS staff have had a 12% pay rise over three years followed by another 3%….15% in total and the unions are still whining it's not enough. Spare a thought for the police who have been given nothing!!!'
A retired West Midlands police sergeant wrote: 'Police pay and conditions have been eroded for the last thirty years, this doesn't come as a surprise to me. It's a pay cut, a ''thank you'' to all those officers maintaining the Queen's peace during a pandemic. Disgraceful. Also sick of hearing the whingeing NHS moan about their 3%.'
A second former officer also joined the debate, adding: 'Haven't the NHS just been offered a 3% pay rise and they are looking to go on strike. What about us. What about the frontline police officer out there everyday. Nothing but a pay freeze to pay for the government's c***ups along the way.'
Meanwhile, another Twitter user, Matthew Robinson, said: 'People moan that the NHS should have a bigger rise yet teachers were also looking after NHS staff's kids throughout the pandemic...'
It came as ministers today dismissed strike threats over a 3 cent pay rise for the NHS - pointing out taxpayers have spent £350billion fighting the pandemic and other public sector workers are facing a freeze.
In a round of interviews this morning Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng stressed that the NHS was being made a special case with the public finances in tatters. Police and teachers earning more than £24,000 will see no increase this year.
The announcements came after the private sector started to show signs of wage recovery, following 16 months in which workers have seen their incomes battered by furlough, pay freezes and redundancy.
Mr Kwarteng told Sky News: 'The independent review has recommended a 3 per cent increase and the Government has decided that we'll go with the independent review.
'I think that's entirely fair. Obviously we'd like it to be more but you've got to remember we spent £350billion to deal with the pandemic. I think 3 per cent, which, after all, was what the independent review came up with, is a fair number.'
In cash terms, public sector pay has risen more steadily than private sector pay, which has seen significant dips during the pandemic and the Credit Crunch. The different types of jobs in each sector means that the overall pay level is not directly comparable in this chart
Those who will benefit from the health service pay boost include nurses, paramedics, consultants, dentists and salaried GPs, as well as domestic staff and other support workers.
They are being recognised for their 'extraordinary efforts' during an 'unprecedented year', the Department of Health and Social Care said.
Officials said the pay bump will mean an additional £1,000 a year for the average nurse, while porters and cleaners will receive around £540. It is expected to cost the government £2.1billion a year, with Downing Street saying the money will come from within existing budgets
However, unions have demanded a rise of at least five per cent, with surgeons and senior doctors threatening to strike for the first time in decades if demands are not met. The RCN has urged a 12.5 per cent hike.
Campaigners — including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn — yesterday handed in an 800,000-strong petition to Downing Street
