Labour must stop dragging its feet on recognition for injured cops | Politics | News
This month I led a debate in Parliament calling for the introduction of the Service Injury Award, a medal that recognizes emergency workers whose careers have been cut short by injuries protecting our communities. I am happy and encouraged that the Daily Express is supporting this campaign shoulder to shoulder with us.
Dozens of former police officers, firefighters and paramedics from around the country watched from the gallery. Many had waited for this moment for decades.
They left disappointed.
Despite overwhelming cross-party support from 111 MPs and backing from the Police Federation and Fire Brigades Union, a Government minister has refused to commit to establishing the award.
Instead we heard the same tired phrase “work in progress”. This is not good enough. The injustice at the heart of this issue requires urgent action.
Let me tell you about my constituent Jane Notley from Cheadle. Jane always wanted to be a police officer. It was one of the proudest days of his life when he joined Greater Manchester Police.
But in 1989, while on duty, he tried to stop a car thief. He repeatedly pointed his vehicle at her, crushing her legs and leaving her paralyzed. He said he was laughing while doing it. The culprit was never caught.
After years of surgery, Jane can now walk with the help of her pink canes. She works as a therapist and still serves her community. But the fundamental injustice is this: If you passed Jane on the street today, you would have no idea that she bravely put herself in harm’s way. I have no idea the sacrifice he made so we could be safe.
Jane is not alone. There are 800 injured former Manchester Police officers alive today. There are more than 16,000 injured former police officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We don’t even know the total of all emergency services.
Injustice gets deeper. Many were deprived of long service medals because their careers were cut short by injury. The reward for bravery is insufficient; Most of the personnel attacked are ambushed. Tens of thousands of people remain unrecognized through no fault of their own, simply because attackers jumped out after them.
Consider PC Kris Aves, who was mowed down in the Westminster Bridge terror attack in 2017. He is now paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.
His colleague PC Keith Palmer, who died in that attack, was rightly awarded posthumous honors including the Elizabethan Emblem. However, Kris did not receive a medal. Instead he lost his career.
Or Pam White, who kept the public safe despite her injuries during the IRA attack on Harrods in 1983. These injuries forced him to leave the force. Those who died in the bombing were awarded the Elizabethan Emblem. Injured officers like Pam are ignored.
This can’t turn into a terrible comparison game. Those killed in the line of duty certainly deserve recognition. But we cannot allow the injured survivors to be forgotten. These people suffered gunshot wounds, paralysis, life-changing injuries, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Unfortunately, some took their own lives due to the impact of their injuries.
The proposition is straightforward: A public servant who is injured in the line of duty and is medically discharged from service as a result of that injury. The medal meant that those who made significant sacrifices could wear it with pride and the public would recognize their bravery and service.
Former Sussex detective Tom Curry, who led the ‘999 Injured and Forgotten’ campaign, was injured just weeks before reaching his 22 years of service. As Tom reminds me: “Patience is a young man’s game.” Many waited 30, 40, even 50 years.
This proposal reached the Cabinet before the general election. However, no progress has been made since then. Many MPs have raised this in Parliament, but the same line is being worked on. The awarding of Elizabethan Emblems now serves as a reminder to the wounded survivors that they have been forgotten.
The motion was accepted unanimously on Thursday, November 20. Parliament has spoken. There is no political resistance.
So I say directly to those looking on: These incredible people should not wait another day. There are no more committees. No more delays. Pick up this trophy.
These heroes risked their bodies for us. They deserve recognition and respect, and they deserve it now.
The glove was down. Get it now.
