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The Chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation has been dismissed by his union following a TV interview in which he expressed concerns over racism fears among officers.
Rick Prior, the elected representative of some 30,000 rank-and-file officers across the capital, told GB News last week about his concerns for policing, particularly in relation to a “crisis of confidence” among officers. Prior said that officers are “withdrawing from any kind of proactive policing for fear of falling foul of the IOPC [Independent Office for Police Conduct] or a vexatious or malicious complaint.”
The day after the broadcast, Prior was relieved of his duties by the federation.
Prior was suspended in October 2024 after saying that officers were “hesitating” before engaging with ethnic minorities for fear of being labelled “racist.” Since then, he has been fundraising to take legal action against the federation for his suspension and is seeking a judicial review of its legality.
Writing on X (formerly Twitter) on 25 April, Prior said: “I was suspended by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) because I dared to speak the truth of what members I represent have been telling me for months.
“Now I have been sacked for simply trying to defend myself. I feel I would have been treated more fairly in the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea.”
In an update released on 24 April, the Police Federation of England & Wales (PFEW) said: ‘PFEW can confirm that Rick Prior, Chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation, has been found in breach of the Federation’s Standards [Appendix 8].
‘As a result, Rick has been removed from his position as Chair and as a Federation representative and also prevented from standing for election to any Federation position. Both sanctions are imposed on a permanent basis.
‘In line with our standard policy on governance matters, the Federation will not be commenting on the details of the case.’
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