Officers stunned as Theresa May lays into Police Federation

Theresa May did what so many of those who came before her as home secretary would have loved to have done when she went to Bournemouth on Wednesday.

There, she stood at a lectern and laid into the Police Federation, the representative body for more than 100,000 officers up to chief inspector rank in England and Wales.

The federation has had a torrid time over allegations that officers made false charges against a Conservative cabinet minister, an expenses row, and bullying claims.

Reform must happen, said May. If it did not occur within the year then she would impose it, no ifs, no buts. Officers sat dumbstruck, not a sound to be heard.

May’s speech marks a sea-change in British politics, since, in the past, both she and her predecessors preferred to shy away from direct confrontation with the police.

However, the federation has made itself vulnerable by the sheer scale of its dysfunctionality, including by spending extravagantly on its headquarters. The handling of its finances, according to MPs, is shambolic, with numerous federation branches having so-called "No 2" accounts that were not vetted according to the federation's own rules. Committee findings In a report, the House of Commons's home affairs committee found the federation, nationally and locally, was "now sitting on some £70 million of its members' money".

Subscriptions, should be frozen, while members should get a rebate of £120 each to reduce the sums held, said the MPs.

Separately, it seems that the job of leading the federation as national chairman has been a sojourn in hell for those who have held it. Steve Williams, who is stepping down from the post, faced what the committee described as "persistent attempts to undermine and destabilise him by bullying and personal attacks".

“I worked with hardened criminals, but nothing prepared me for the police,” he said after he had finally made his decision to quit.

“It seems on the basis of our evidence that [former chairman] Paul McKeever, who died in office, was probably subject to similar treatment,” the home affairs committee noted in its scathing report of the body.

Given the mauling taken by the federation, appearing before it now does not provoke cold sweats from politicians – and it did produce naked fear on occasions. May was given a slow handclap during one of her appearances, when she was forced to give a speech standing near a poster saying the cutbacks being forced through were "criminal". Past sins However, May's Bournemouth move was not just about the police, no matter how much she would have enjoyed sticking it to a group who used their power ruthlessly when they were in the ascendancy. A string of past sins, such as the failings over the Hillsborough stadium disaster, the failure to stop Jimmy Savile and the involvement of some police officers in phone-hacking have all dented the reputation of the police.

Today, the home secretary can legitimately gamble that she will have public opinion on her side when she tackles “the bobbies’ union”, even if she would not have it were she attacking individual officers.

The edited clips from her speech will feature highly when the Conservative Party next has to choose a new leader, especially if such a choice has to come quickly in the wake of the 2015 election. The cold ruthlessness seen in Bournemouth will go down well with the Tory heartland, which always appreciates a touch of firm government.

However, May’s ability to deliver power for the Conservatives is more questionable. Politically, she is astute – her very survival in the home office for four years is testament to that, given that it has been a graveyard for many.

Conservative home, which reports on the internal workings of the Conservatives, says she and Boris Johnson are the favourite choices of the party at large to succeed David Cameron. The next leader is chosen by Conservative MPs, not by the party. Many of them loathe Johnson, remembering his dilettante days when he was one of their number. May, on the other hand, has built links.

However, May would be a difficult proposition to put to voters. Her coldness and her lack of humour – the latter is striking, shall we say – would test image-makers. Still, such obstacles were overcome with Margaret Thatcher.