Patel defends police after officer’s arrest
Home Secretary Priti Patel has sought to reassure the public over the integrity and dedication of police after the arrest of a serving officer who was last night charged with Sarah Everard’s murder.
The officer, who is in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, was charged with the murder and kidnapping of Ms Everard, and is being investigated over a separate allegation of indecent exposure.
Writing in the Sun, Ms Patel said while such “awful” incidents are rare, they are also extremely worrying because they remind women everywhere “of the steps we all take on a daily basis, without a second thought, to keep ourselves safe”.
She said these concerns had been compounded by the fact the man arrested in this case was a serving officer, but said the “vast majority” of police personnel were people of the highest integrity.
“The police hold positions
of trust in our communities and it is deeply disturbing to imagine that someone who we would all put our faith in if in danger could allegedly be responsible for such an abhorrent crime,” Ms Patel wrote.
“However, the professionalism and conduct I have witnessed through my own engagement with the police since Sarah’s disappearance has reminded me that the vast majority of police officers serve with the utmost integrity and represent the very best of public service.
“There are currently hundreds of dedicated officers working night and day."
A union representing key workers at ferry company Calmac has written to a Scottish government minister demanding a meeting in a bid to "correct a pay injustice".
The RMT is in dispute with Caledonian Macbrayne (Calmac) over a 0.5 per cent pay offer for 2020-21.
It said the Scottish government's pay award for other public sector workers was 3 per cent for those earning under £80,000 and claimed Calmac's negotiating team "point blank refused to move on that initial offer and even refused to meet the trade unions".
The union claims after another ferry contractor, Serco Northlink, agreed a 1 per cent pay increase for RMT despite the fact pay awards "tend to mirror each other".
RMT general secretary Mick Cash writes: "Throughout the pandemic, Calmac staff have risked their lives and the health of their families to maintain lifeline ferry services"