Lib Dems show support for police protest over pay

9.58.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 24th Jan 2008

An estimated 18,500 police officers marched in central London yesterday in a protest over pay.

Officers are angry that a 2.5% pay rise has been backdated to only 1 December for officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Home Office said it had a responsibility to make sure pay rises were in line with government policy.

Liberal Democrats London Mayoral candidate Brian Paddick, a former Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner, has taken part in the march.

Leader of the Lib Dems Nick Clegg who recently attended a police rally said, "The Government must of course be responsible about public sector pay. But what is the point of an independent review if ministers are going to ignore it?

He added, "The Government could backdate the full 2.5% pay rise for less than half the money they have poured into the Identity Cards scheme. This is a matter of the basic covenant between the police and the state. Every officer in the country has been treated with contempt by the Government. The police deserve their pay rise in full, today."