Vote of no confidence in Federation chair defeated

A vote of no confidence in the chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales was narrowly defeated on Tuesday (May 14) at its annual conference.

An emergency motion proposed by West Midlands Constables Branch Board chair Sarah Stevens-Burns put divisions on centre stage as the Constables Central Committee (CCC) argued Steve Williams had no lawful right to decide to conduct an independent review into the organisation.
The motion was defeated by 168 votes to 120.

Ms Stevens-Burns proposed that, should the no confidence vote be carried, the CCC should consider evidence to support and instigate Schedule 6 proceedings against Steve Williams in his capacity to chair the PFEW.

She said that a review was launched in response to an article that was due to be published in the Daily Telegraph, written by Sir Paul Stephenson the former Metropolitan Police Service Commissioner, that would “effectively pull the Federation apart and that there was ammunition to destroy the Police Federation of England and Wales”.

Due to a favour, the article was watered down and no one knows what would have been included in the article, she added.

Ms Stevens-Burns said there was a feeling that Mr Williams acted arrogantly when asked under what regulation he decided to hold a review and in replying that regulations do not say he can’t.

“It was very clear it would be pressing ahead with or without the constables, there was a strong feeling in the room that the chairman was acting ultra vires – outside of his powers – that means illegal.”

She said he sped ahead at breakneck speed with the review that has the potential to break apart the Federation and claimed his actions were undemocratic and went against common sense.

The CCC then decided to withhold funding to the Police Federation, a decision that was later rescinded when Mr Williams apologised, but Ms Stevens-Burns said the CCC had been pushed into a corner.

She said an instruction to show respect and behave appropriately to ministers at the annual conference further angered delegates and does not allow for freedom of expression.

“If Mrs May didn’t produce policies which are so anti-rank and file then she would not be heckled,” she added and urged delegates to heckle Mr Williams instead of Theresa May.

Ian Pointon, Kent Police Federation Branch Board chair, spoke against the motion and said if delegates wanted the vote to be the headline story of the week it should pass the motion but there were other items on the agenda that were more important.

“The Government will be rubbing their hands in glee,” he said.

He appealed for more time for Mr Williams, who has only been chairman since January, to prove his leadership and said the behaviour of those proposing the motion was akin to bullying in the workplace that would have PFEW representatives rushing for legal advice.

Mick Taylor, Nottinghamshire Branch Board, said he disagreed with the need for a review and was also not enamoured with Steve Williams’ attitude. However, when he left a meeting in January he was under the impression constables had agreed to proceed with the review and it was now time to “knock it on the head and grow up”.

Paul Deller, joint secretary of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said as police officers, delegates should not allow Mr Williams to break rules and get away with it.

“A lot of people do not have confidence in Steve Williams to lead us through these difficult times.”

Several delegates spoke against the motion but said there were other ways to deal with internal wrangling and urged conference to deal with dissatisfaction in closed forum.