The Fed is digging in for a long fight over pay for frontline officers its leader has revealed.

The Police Federation’s leadership is meeting to decide how it will challenge the “divisive” pay deal from the government.

Its full response to the decision by the Home Office to issue a flat a £1,900 salary uplift across all ranks made clear it will be targeting the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) has part of a long-term campaign to challenge ministers.

Fed Chair Steve Hartshorn said: “The government still has a long way to go to demonstrate they’re treating officers with the dignity and respect they deserve and ultimately, the continuation of the real-terms pay cut remains.”

He added: “At any other time, this pay award would be lauded as a success. But set against a backdrop of a 20 per cent lack of a real terms pay rise over the last 12 years, a 0 per cent pay freeze when other emergency services saw an increase and the current financial crisis in the UK, it is just not enough.”

The increase for Uplift recruits was welcomed by the Fed argued the majority of its members had been given another pay cut.

The Fed set out three demands that will shape what happens next at national and local level.

1. A complete redresses of the real-term pay cut suffered by police officers since 2010.
2. An alignment of police officers’ pay with cost-of-living increases.
3. A fair pay system that takes account the x/p-factor for police officers, the restrictions on their lives and the danger and unique challenges they face as part of the job.

The latest statement was tougher than its initial reaction and closer to the joint response from the Police Superintendents’ Association and the Chief Police Officers Staff Association.

They said the deal “creates both inequality and a lack of fairness”.

Both organisations also made clear they will be looking into how the PRRB’s recommendation for a targeted rise was arrived at as none of the staff groups had suggested it.

Those answers will likely feed into the evidence that will be put to the High Court in the autumn.

The CPOSA and PSA said: “"This year, the PRRB has lacked any input or evidence from the majority of the workforce, with the Police Federation and the Police Superintendents’ Association withdrawing from the process following continued concerns over the lack of fairness and independence of the pay review process. 
 
"We will now be seeking answers as to why the PRRB has recommended this targeted pay decision, which contradicts the evidence it received.”

The Fed made clear it wants the PRRB – if it is to continue to exist – to have the ability to reject an offer from the government, effectively working as an arbitration service.

The statement again highlighted the historic reasons why officers gave up the right to strike – a fresh warning to the Policing Minister that officers could follow colleagues in Scotland by withdrawing goodwill if there isn’t a change of direction in the autumn with the new PM.

Mr Hartshorn said: “The government still has a long way to go to demonstrate they’re treating officers with the dignity and respect they deserve and ultimately, the continuation of the real-terms pay cut remains.”