ANALYSIS

POLICE unions last night accused Theresa May of telling a ‘downright lie’ on officers’ pay.

The Police Federation argues that salaries have fallen 16 per cent and Labour Party figures suggest this has cost officers £6,000 a head on average.

But, according to the Prime Minister, some constables have enjoyed a 32 per cent pay increase since 2010.

So, are Mrs May’s figures wrong? No at all. She was using as an example an officer who joined as a constable in 2010 on £23,259. After tax and national insurance he took home £17,972.

Every year, because of progression pay – the annual and largely automatic pay increases enjoyed by millions of public sector workers – his pay goes up. And after seven years his gross pay reaches at least £35,478.

His take home pay, after tax and NI is £27,405. That amounts to a real terms increase of 32 per cent, officials say. As well as progression pay, and 1 per cent annual increases, he is better off in part because of tax cuts for low earners.

However, that is not the whole story. After eight years of service constables stop receiving pay progression but by then are on around £38,000 a year. According to the Police Federation, 65 per cent of the 98,000 constables in England and Wales are at the top of their pay scale – leaving 35 per cent on progression increases.

The rises are recognition of accrued experience – in effect time spent in the job.

They go to millions of public sector workers, including nurses, teachers and police officers, until they reach the top of their pay scale. In the vast majority of cases it is awarded automatically, although in theory it could be withdrawn if someone is seen to have failed to do their job properly.