When in early December last year it became apparent the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith intended to renege on the 2007 police pay settlement as agreed by the independent Police pay arbitration tribunal, we asked our members to suggest original means by which we could publicise our sense of grievance at the way in which we were being betrayed and our lack of industrial muscle abused.

Mary Wood, a uniformed Inspector who works at Croydon Police station, and whom incidentally is also the Vice-Chairman of the Metropolitan IBB, suggested that she could write a protest song, which could be recorded and published on the ‘i-tunes’ system. We believe with enough support from Federation members, their families and those that support our cause we could reach a respectable position in the singles charts and with it raise the profile of our campaign

The Greater Manchester Police Federation expressed a desire to work with us to turn Mary’s idea into reality.  The title of the song is of course a play on the fact that the material traditionally used in the manufacture of police uniforms is called ‘Blue Serge’ and we have every reason to be ‘Blue’

Mary’s lyrics were put to music by a young musician from Manchester named David Sinnott (19years) and David was joined last month, in the recording studio by Gianluca Rizzuto (19) and Charles Crake (14) to record the song. The band were given the entirely appropriate title of ‘Bobby Cash & the Bridewells’

300 Copies of the Song have been distributed to UK based radio stations in the hope that they too will help by adding it to their playlists

The song, Blue Serge Blues, is now available for download from ‘i-tunes’ with the proceeds being shared between the Children’s charity ‘Dreams come True’ and the ‘Help for heroes’ charity which provides support to injured servicemen returning from the combat zones in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This story has received some media attention via the TV, Sun and Times News Papers, and as I type the song has reached the respectable position of Number 1 in the Blues Chart on itunes. BUT more can be done. 

Now with the ballot about to be launched and the Judicial Review on the Home Secretary's decision the week after next it would be fantastic if we could get the song into the main charts. So please get as many of your colleagues friends and family as possible to download the song this week.