Wow! What a response, a truly magnificent show of strength by you our membership. I asked you to show us your support and you did that in your thousands.

Apparently there were 22,500 of us, but from what I’ve heard the figure was closer to 25,000.  I am also told, and if it’s true it is astonishing, that as the front of the march reached the finish in Milbank, the back had only just left Hyde Park Corner!!

Yesterday proved that it is possible to for us to express our anger, frustration and disappointment at the way we are being treated in an informed, professional, dignified and constructive manner. The good name of the Federation and most importantly the Police service was only enhanced by the event.

So a very big thank you to you and all your colleagues, friends and in some cases family, who gave up their own time to give us your very visible backing. That thanks comes not just from me on behalf of the Met IBB but also I know from the rest of both the Met Federation and the PFEW.

The sight of 25,000 ‘Pillars of society’ walking in silence past her window in Marsham Street clearly must have had some effect on dear Jacqui, because the meeting Jan Berry and John Francis had with her yesterday evening has been officially described even by us as ‘constructive’. This is more than can be said for those last week!

The Home Secretary needs to quietly reflect on what she saw and the clear and unequivocal message it sent. The 2007 pay settlement is unfinished business as far as we are concerned. She can talk all she likes about future year’s settlements but we haven’t settled for last year’s yet!

So colleagues the fight goes on. The rally is now a glorious episode in our history. The ballot of our members is in the future. The fact that 25,000 of you have been moved enough to give up your day along with the countless others who would, duty permitting, liked to have joined you, gives me far more confidence that a huge majority will, via the ballot box, give us, your Federation the tools we need, if necessary, to tackle this and any future government that is minded to treat us so shoddily, head on.

If any of you have any comments, experiences or indeed photographs of the day that you are prepared to share then please send them to me via this link. It would be good to post a few onto this site.

Thank you all again.