The Police Federation has splurged over half a million pounds on legal fees after being accused of trying to clamp down on free speech. TheTelegraphhas the story.
The organisation, which represents 145,000 rank-and-file officers, brought in a team of top lawyers after unlawfully suspending two branch officials over comments they made about race.
A legal review ruled in favour of the two officials and the federation spent more than £500,000 on legal fees fighting in the courts, according to documents released under Freedom of Information laws.
Rick Prior was chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation
Rick Prior, who was the head of the Metropolitan Police Federation, was suspended when he warned that his members were nervous about challenging people from some ethnic minorities for fear of being labelled racist.
Richard Cooke was the head of the West Midlands Police Federation
Richard Cooke, his colleague in the West Midlands, was also suspended when he posted a comment online disputing suggestions that his force was “institutionally racist”.
The federation argued the men’s comments were potentially discriminatory and risked bringing the organisation into disrepute.
After a crowdfunding campaign organised by the Free Speech Union (FSU), both men brought a judicial review to challenge their treatment.
The federation hired a top law firm and leading criminal barrister to fight the case.
In January, the High Court ruled that the federation had acted unlawfully in its treatment of the men and had breached their Article 10 right to freedom of expression.
In the ruling, the judge said that, as elected representatives, they had the right to comment on matters of public interest such as race relations, policing standards and officer confidence.
But details released following a freedom of information request reveal the federation, which is funded by officer subscriptions, spent £326,427 on solicitors and a further £201,480 on barristers’ fees, which included a King’s Counsel.
Having lost the case, the federation lodged an appeal, but in March announced it was dropping the action.
The federation is also understood to be liable for the costs of Mr Prior and Mr Cooke, meaning the overall legal bill for the action is likely to be close to £840,000.
The chief, who is a young Asian management type, has been suspended. Probably on his enormous full pay. The plods have elected a new chairperson who is promising to sort it out and look after members instead of dumping on them.
What a great way for the police in national terms to announce their biases and to hi-light just how rotten they have become. Almost one million quid to broadcast their wholly anti-Peelian preferences. A stasi not a police force. A superb and complementary symbol for our corrupt and all but broken nation, destroyed from within.
Apparently their annual budget (which comes from member subscriptions) is £12 million so this is a big chunk of that. They are meant to defend their members, not persecute them.
Thank you for reading. Please help us keep the Daily Sceptic going by becoming a donor.
Discussion
Comments
This week across the site:
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to the Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.
Thats a lot of money spent to try and uphold the narrative.
So perhaps it is institutionally racist… towards its own.
Fantastic result. Neither of them said anything wrong whatsoever. Reinstate them both.
Is the subscription voluntary? Can the rank and file plod do anything to protest about such an egregious waste of time and money?
Sack the idiots who went on this expensive crusade.
The chief, who is a young Asian management type, has been suspended. Probably on his enormous full pay. The plods have elected a new chairperson who is promising to sort it out and look after members instead of dumping on them.
https://polfed.org/news/latest-news/2026/a-message-from-our-national-chair-the-federation-is-changing/
He was suspended when he posted a comment online disputing suggestions that his force was “institutionally racist”.
So you can bring the Police Service into disrepute by saying it isn’t disreputable???
Absurd, isn’t it…
What a great way for the police in national terms to announce their biases and to hi-light just how rotten they have become. Almost one million quid to broadcast their wholly anti-Peelian preferences. A stasi not a police force. A superb and complementary symbol for our corrupt and all but broken nation, destroyed from within.
Apparently their annual budget (which comes from member subscriptions) is £12 million so this is a big chunk of that. They are meant to defend their members, not persecute them.