Should British police be able to strike? We ask an expert

Police officers in the UK are legally banned from striking, but due to pay that has slowly fallen by 20% in real terms and a cost of living crisis in which officers are required to use food banks, should they be? I asked Nick McKerrell, a lecturer in law at Glasgow Caledonian University, who specializes in police structures and powers.

There's probably police on the picket lines this summer in the same desperate condition as the strikersYes, the cost of living affects everyone. This is a modern phenomenon, as historically the police were better paid than many other public sector workers.

Is this because of austerity? This problem predates that, but the cops were not immune to austerity. There have only been two formal consultations on the strike. In 2008, under New Labour, around 80% of those polled wanted the right to strike, but that was not enough turnout for one term. Something similar happened under Theresa May.

When did the police lose the right to strike? There was a major police strike in London in 1918. Forces were then more localised, and police from other areas supported it, particularly in Liverpool. There was a negotiation and a change in the law prohibiting the police from striking or joining a union.

In an ideal world, unions would not would not need to exist as employers would be fair. And given that the Conservatives claim to be the party of law and order, don't the police need a union? It is partly true. However, they organized before they were banned. And there's the Police Federation - although it's not associated with the TUC, has different powers and is partly state-funded.

Isn't Police Scotland on strike? "goodwill retention". They're not going to show up early for shifts, they're not going to bring police radios home in case there's a serious incident. They do nothing beyond their contractual obligations. This adds…

Yes – at around 1 million overtime. If the police could strike, what would that look like? The consultations focused on the strike whether emergency cover could be provided, as the military did for the firefighters' strike. Or the police might say they won't do work where there's little threat to public safety, like concerts. Liz Truss said of the strikes that essential services must be maintained. So even where strikes aren't banned, some services have to work.

So how is a strike? I would be concerned that they would force other sectors to provide "emergency blanket" so that jobs that have strong strike rights would be affected. That's a good way to put it. In the United States, where there are police unions, the New York force has been “slowing down,” refusing to do anything other than emergency calls. This was in response to the climate around Black Lives Matter.

So could police unions go on strike over totally fair criticism? Whether it's police brutality or domestic violence? In the United States, police unions are generally seen as merely advocating for bad behavior. I think any group of workers who are negotiating their compensation need some recourse when nothing else is working. And as a public sector service, the police should be treated the same as any other...