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The government has announced a 4.2 per cent pay rise for police officers in England and Wales – and it is being hailed by ministers as “a clear signal of our gratitude.” They ought to be arrested for daylight robbery.

For frontline officers struggling with record assaults, mental health absences, and soaring resignations, this so-called reward barely buys them a Big Mac per shift, as police representatives have claimed.

This Writer thinks they missed a trick there; the better metaphor would be doughnuts – as used to describe fat, lazy American cops who spend their time stuffing themselves with fatty foods rather than solving crimes.

If the government’s gratitude to police equates to the price of a few doughnuts, then Home Secretary Yvette Cooper isn’t grateful.

This is more punishment than praise.

A pay rise that barely covers the basics

Starting salaries for police constables will rise by £1,256 to £31,164, with experienced officers earning around £50,000 and senior ranks nearly £100,000.

On the surface, that looks like progress — marginally above the current inflation rate of 4.1 per cent. But dig deeper, and the reality is starker.

After more than a decade of real-terms pay cuts, this increase does little to reverse a long decline in officers’ living standards.

The Police Federation rightly calls it “the price of a Big Mac per shift” — a sarcastic understatement that highlights how out of touch the government is with the daily struggles of policing.

Officers face gruelling shifts, dangerous situations, and increasing assaults — yet their pay fails to reflect the sacrifices they make.

Instead, they receive what many perceive as a symbolic slap in the face disguised as gratitude.

No right to strike – no leverage

Unlike many other public sector workers, police officers are legally barred from striking.

They cannot withdraw their labour to demand fair treatment.

Their hands are tied by duty and law, leaving them vulnerable to government decisions that underfund and undervalue their work.

This lack of leverage is an invisible form of punishment.

Nurses, teachers, and rail workers have all used strikes to force governments to take pay seriously.

Police officers can only grumble and watch as their living standards fall behind.

Gratitude or gaslighting?

Cooper praises police as “brave” and “making enormous sacrifices” — but the government’s pay rise sends a contradictory message.

If this is the price of gratitude, it feels more like gaslighting: telling officers they’re appreciated while simultaneously starving them of resources and respect.

The stark pay disparities within the force add insult to injury.

While constables scrape by, chief superintendents earn nearly £100,000.

The gulf between frontline hardship and senior comfort fuels resentment and frustration.

Time to pay The Bill

The Old Bill deserve better.

If the government truly values public safety, it must stop offering crumbs and start investing in fair pay, proper resources, and respect for the force.

This pay rise is not a signal of gratitude.

It’s a signal that the government believes police will accept less — even as they protect communities, face unprecedented pressures, and risk their lives every day.

The time has come to pay The Bill properly.

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