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Home Secretary Priti Patel unblocks local police federation Twitter

The Essex Police Federation were first blocked by Ms Patel in 2015, after warning then then-minister for employment about the dangers of funding cuts.
The Essex Police Federation were first blocked by Ms Patel in 2015, after warning then then-minister for employment about the dangers of funding cuts.

New Home Secretary Priti Patel has unblocked a Twitter account representing police officers in Essex after four years.

The Essex Police Federation were first blocked by Ms Patel in 2015, after warning then then-minister for employment about the dangers of police funding cuts, according to chair Steve Taylor.

The federation represents all constables, sergeants, inspectors and chief inspectors in Essex, and appealed for the Witham MP to unblock them after she was made Home Secretary.

Under her new role, Ms Patel has been charged by Prime Minister Boris Johnson with heading up a new board that will oversee the recruitment of 20,000 police officers.

Writing on Twitter, Ms Patel said: “I look forward to working together especially on our new and exciting drive to increase police numbers and support police officers in their incredible work.”

Mr Taylor said: “For too long we felt we did not have her support and we did not want that to continue with her in her new office of home secretary.

“She was the only MP out of 18 to block us during the #Cutshaveconsequences campaign.”

He added that the federation looked forward to a more constructive relationship with the government.

The move had the support of the chair of the national police federation, John Apter, who tweeted two days ago: “She needs to review her decision to block her local Fed. Wrong and needs to be corrected.”