Police must not be seen as arm of the state, warns top officer

Sir Hugh Orde warns that repeated clashes with demonstrators risks damaging reputation of police force

Vikram Dood
Guardian

Police fear becoming the focus of public anger at government cuts and that repeated clashes with demonstrators risk damaging their reputation, a top officer has told the Guardian.

Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said it was crucial that police do not appear to be "an arm of the state" who are being used to allow the government to "impose cuts".

His comments came as the Metropolitan police force faced questions over its handling of violent student protests.


Police expect a string of future demonstrations as government spending cuts begin to bite. While they have started with students, public sector workers are facing mass sackings.

Past protests have damaged the police's reputation with sections of the community, notably the 1980s miners' strike.

Asked if there was a danger to the police's reputation by repeated clashes at demonstrations, Orde told the Guardian: "Yes, if it is allowed to be played as the cops acting as an arm of the state, delivering the elected government's will, rather than protecting the rights of the citizen.

"We need to be clear we are doing it as operationally independent, and not subject to influence by anyone as to how we do it.

"As long as that is maintained we can rebut any allegations that we are doing what we are told by our political masters to advance a political agenda. The police are not against anybody."

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UK's Cameron announces military austerity plan

David Stringer
Associated Press

LONDON — Britain will lose thousands of troops, build new aircraft carriers – without new fighter jets – and delay a multibillion pound (dollar) upgrade to its nuclear deterrent under sweeping defense cuts being announced Tuesday following the first major military review in more than a decade.

Ahead of a speech to Parliament, Prime Minister David Cameron told troops in London that Britain will remain a major global power, despite fears among allies that the austerity plans could diminish the country's military might.

Cameron is scheduled to outline the details of cuts likely to total as much as 3 billion pounds ($4.8 billion) from the defense ministry's annual budget of about 37 billion pounds ($59 billion).

In the most eye-catching move, Britain is expected to press ahead with a 5 billion pound (US$8 billion) program to build two flagship new aircraft carriers – but won't equip them with British fighter jets for about a decade.


It means the vast vessels will either sail without aircraft, or carry French and U.S. jets – a decision the main opposition Labour Party described as out of the ordinary.

"We will be an absolutely front rank military power," Cameron promised, speaking at the Permanent Joint Headquarters, in London. "We will make sure that Britain is well defended and we have a set of armed forces that actually are fit for the modern world."

Military cutbacks come a day before Treasury chief George Osborne's long-anticipated announcement of a government-wide program to drastically cut department budgets and welfare bills.

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