Police are the last in a long line of public sector workers that the government are having a go at. First nurses, paramedics, fire fighters now police. Let me just remind the public who they call when they need help? We in Cumbria should be mindful of all the blue light services who have done us proud over recent years. Don't know where we would be - when do the blue lights ever refuse to attend when we phone 999. If the government chose to have Winsor from private sector railway background to review the police terms and conditions there should be no surprise at the backlash. Treat a service like an industry and this is what you get. Most police are professionals, it's a vocation; treat it like a private company at your peril England.

if these guys go on strike their will no other option but take law into our own hands.

To all the people who say the police are doing a bad job then do something about it. Provided you are not a criminal then join the Special Constabulary donate some time to your community and change things from the inside. Only then can you really comment on the job as you can't possibly know what a police officer deals with on a daily basis. They deserve to be treated with respect and if they are to be faced with redundancy then let them strike like anyone else can.

@Brian - Where do you get your facts from? You dont pay their pension .They pay around 12% in to thier pension a lot less than most private sector workers. You want to give yourself a shake and get your facts right before doing the typical cumbrian thing of saying something before engaging mouth. Maybe Brian has been been prosecuted by Police hence negative comments?????

The attitudes towards the police nowadays disgust me. Only idiots claim to hate the police and you can guarantee the minute these idiots are burgled or assaulted, where do they go running? Oh thats right the same officers that they claim to hate. Grow up some of you, they do a damn difficult job and deserve a good level of pay for it.

They're welcome to be able to strike on the proviso the laws are weighted in favour of those defending both themselves and their property.

All the services are usually under review so to say the others are ignored is not accurate.

I have not been impressed by the responses of Cumbria police to incidents over the years but based on experience of other forces they're equally as bad as those.

I am feeling insecurity a bit who protec the peples at olympics if they say we no use guns no more

Well folks our police are doing a fine job
and a very dangerous one, West Cumbria should be well aware of the bravery of our officers and I for one think that they should never need to go on strike, they should be treated properly as heroes.

Come on now. The Police are not a special case - they are like any other employee, they do a job and are paid for it. Tony is right - how absolutely ridiculous going back to the miners' strike, flying pickets and hours on end with no power - why not go back further, and look at Policing in the First World War. However, the Fire Service have been "modernised" and the cuts have bitten hard - you only scrutinise the effects on your own service Tony. All Service Personnel should be fit and healthy, so as to cope with the demands of the job. If their fitness falls below, they should be monitored and assisted to keep it at an optimum level. If they refuse, then they are no longer working within the terms of their employment and should be side stepped into administrative roles, with the commensurate pay cuts. Even you Police Officers are tax payers and surely want value for money like the rest of us. There are no free rides, and if the population of the UK stopped moaning and rolled it's sleeves up we could get out of this mess much more quickly. It is a mess, and it is serious. The Police should have the right to strike, or they should be reassured if not they will not be walked over but at the end of the day, nobody is indispensible and to refer to Cumbrians as thick is insulting. It is narrow minded for Police Officers to think anarchy would rule if they were on strike! There are excellent Police Officers out there, but proportionately there are some who - if they were paid due to attitude - would be on more money than Rooney! Time to all return to Earth now. Over and out!

It's amazing isn't it? When parts of Britain raged with riot not too long ago, we were suddenly the Nation's favourite service, putting ourselves in the line of fire to protect (without fear or favour) any member of the public that was at risk from harm. We did this without a second thought to the ever dwindling resources we are experiencing and with no mind to the drastic reforms that are being implemented ... There was no talk of "working to rule" there was no "We'll do it, but only half-heartedly" mentality. We did it to the best of our ability and not just because it's no more than the public are entitled to, but because the vast majority of police officers believe in giving 100% unconditional commitment in their role.
And now, in calmer times, as we dare to challenge the fact that we are being targeted and treated unfairly by Government reforms, some of those same people who depended on us during the riots (and still depend on us to listen to their troubles day in and day out) are disgusted that we should consider talking about the right to strike!
On the whole, I know that police officers would never even think about the right to strike, let alone talk about it. But when our basic human rights are constantly ignored, when the phrase "work/life balance" is only recognised and implemented when there is a HMIC check and when cancelled rest days and unpaid extension of duty time becomes the norm rather than the exception, please forgive us if we feel a little aggrieved!!
I would also suggest that 70% of Police Officers wanting to fight for the right to strike is not exclusive to Cumbria either ... It's nationwide!
As for the pathetic comment made from the person who "remembers the Miner's strike and won't be giving their sympathy to the Police" I say this ... Drag yourself out of the past and grow up man ... I know about the second World War, but it doesn't give me the right to judge or belittle German folk!
Remember, it's your police service and NHS that the Government are punishing for the mistakes made by the unscrupulous Bankers of Britain ... Why shouldn't we try and stop the rot?!