Stop Privatisation Campaign

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Conference
2013 Police & Justice Conference
Date
13 June 2013
Decision
Carried

Conference applauds the success of the West Midlands Police branch in fighting privatisation of the police service at West Midlands Police. Conference further notes that this success was achieved by:

1)The branch developing a proper plan and working jointly with the West Midlands Regional Office and the National Office.

2)Lots of branch activists taking an active part in the campaign.

3)Getting support of the wider community though petitioning and high profile lobbying.

4)Other non-police branches in the region recognising this was not just a Police Service Group issue but a wider citizenship issue that affected the whole community. Some other non-Police branches helped with the campaign by getting petitions signed.

5)Using the Labour Link to secure a commitment from Labour’s Police and Crime Commissioner candidate to reverse any privatisation proposals if he was elected.

6)Mature and responsible working with other trade unions and the Police Federation.

7)Good use of the union’s General Political Fund to support the campaign.

Conference also notes that the spectre of police privatisation has not gone away in the rest of the country and this is an important issue that affects the whole community. Policing should not be carried out for profit.

Conference therefore asks the SGE to:

a)Conduct a review of the campaign in the West Midlands to identify what lessons can be learned.

b)Work with the union’s General Political Fund Committee to assess how the GPF can support any campaigning.

c)Work with the Labour Link to assess how the Labour Link can support any campaigning.

d) Work with the Regional Police and Justice Service groups to assess how they can support any campaigning.

e)Use the review and research above to develop a strategy for the union to adopt to fight police privatisation, which will include how to work with other unions and the Police Federation; cross service group working; how to make best use of the GPF; and how to make best use of the Labour Link.