Nobody wants another police merger except SNP, says union
PLANS to merge the British Transport Police with Police Scotland are being forced through by ‘the political will of a select few within the Scottish National Party’ – according to union bosses.
The proposals would see the centralisation of railway policing north of the Border – and have sparked fierce criticism from experts, officers and opposition politicians.
Although SNP ministers have been forced to pause the plans for up to two years, they have insisted the merger will still go ahead – despite fears over public safety.
Now Nigel Goodband, chairman of the BTP Federation, has called on the Scottish Government to scrap the plans completely.
Speaking at the union’s annual conference, he said the merger was a ‘political’ decision and ‘no one truly understands why anyone would want to break up a very successful national police force’.
Mr Goodband echoed the views of experts, claiming there had been ‘no proper assessment of the benefits of integration’, and no work on ‘risk assessment’ or the cost of the plans.
He said: ‘Officers and staff have been left in the dark, with no idea how their future careers will progress or what their retirement will look like.
‘Other than the political will of a select few within the Scottish National Party, no one truly understands why anyone would want to break up a very successful national police force.’
Mr Goodband also argued the SNP’s three aims – accountability, access to specialism and seamless command and control – could be achieved within ‘a commissioned service model’.
He said such a model would retain the current structure of the BTP and ‘remove the issue of pension liabilities, training costs and the challenges of terms and conditions’.
Mr Goodband added: ‘It seems only logical, now that integration has been paused, to revisit this option and give it due consideration.
‘Today, I am saying we need to use this planned pause wisely. Let’s have a proper risk assessment, let’s revisit previously disregarded options, let’s have a proper benefit and cost analysis.
‘Devolution can be achieved. If you are serious about listening and engaging, you should listen to what we propose because it is the common sense solution.’
Mr Goodband’s intervention comes only weeks after the SNP was forced to delay the integration of BTP with Police Scot- land for up to two years over fears for public safety.
The Scottish Government had previously dismissed calls for the merger to be scrapped, despite concerns over safety, IT projects and a possible exodus of experienced staff.
But it had to delay the plans, with Police Scotland saying ‘unresolved issues’ meant ‘effective operational integration cannot be achieved’ by the planned date ‘without compromising public safety’.
Yesterday, Scottish Labour justice spokesman Daniel Johnson said Mr Goodband’s comments were an ‘important intervention’ in the row.
He added: ‘He rightly points out what Labour has been saying all along – that integration is unnecessary and more about SNP politics than keeping people safe.
‘SNP ministers have rightly paused the integration, but now they must take the next logical step and reconsider what would be the most effective model for railway policing.
‘That means looking again at all the options, conducting a thorough assessment and making the right decision.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We have met the BTP Federation on a number of occasions in recent weeks and will continue to work closely with them on addressing issues raised by their members.
‘The Joint Programme Board overseeing the integration of British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland has agreed to review the timetable.’
‘Officers left in the dark’ ‘An important intervention’