Police Arrest Procedures – National Annual Women’s Conference 2022 Motion

19th and 20th March 2022

Each year Labour’s National Annual Women’s Conference brings together hundreds of women, politicians, stakeholders and activists from across the country.

This Conference enables our members to participate in policy making and offers the opportunity to share ideas with delegates from across the UK.

The conference discussed the following topics:

Food Poverty
Rights of Women After Pregnancy Loss
Social Care
Violence Against Women and Girls
Women and Health Care
Women and the Economy
Women refugees
Women’s Equality after Covid

Kingston and Surbiton Labour have submitted the following motion:

Police Arrest Procedures

Sarah Everard was killed on 3 rd March 2021 by an off-duty police officer who used his professional position to make her believe he was legitimately arresting her. As a result she got into his car and he was able to drive off with her and subsequently rape and murder her. Since this case many women have become aware, or increasingly aware, of how vulnerable they can be in their interactions with the police. When you get into a police officers’ car you have no way of knowing whether he will take you to the police station for your arrest to be processed or whether he will drive off with you.
We therefore call for any women stopped by a lone police officer to have the right to refuse to get into his car. She should have the option to either wait for him to call backup, preferably a female police officer (so at least there is a witness to whatever might happen) or for the woman and the police officer to reach the police station by another means (walking, public transport etc.).

Photo of Kill The Bill Demo in Fairfield park in Kingston March 2021

Our Conference delegate, Becky Way, and candidate for the local elections in Surbiton Hill said, “The atmosphere has been really supportive. All the motions that have been debated were really good. On the motion about violence against women and girls, many people spoke about their own experiences, which showed the depth of the problem.”

The conference debated important motions on the subject of women and healthcare. Delegates spoke about how medical conditions are under-diagnosed in women due to the fact that most medical research is carried out on men. There is much less knowledge of how conditions such as strokes and heart attacks manifest in women.

The conference heard motions demanding improved rights and leave at work following a miscarriage, and a social care service that is free at the point of use.

Like last years conference, the impact the pandemic has had on women’s equality was a key area of focus, and delegates discussed how to prevent the inequalities from becoming entrenched.

We need polices and laws that enhance equality, now more than ever, as our society faces huge pressures and turmoil, and we plummet into a cost of living crisis.