'No consistency' for cops after Brown reshuffles Home Office

Ian Johnston, president of the Superintendents' Association of England and Wales, told Police Review it was 'extremely difficult to see the sense' in moving Vernon Coaker from the role of police minister, which he only took over last October.

Simon Reed, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said he was 'disappointed' by the move and would have liked to see 'some consistency' at the Home Office.

During a cabinet reshuffle last Friday (5 June), Jacqui Smith resigned after two years as Home Secretary. She was replaced by Alan Johnson, the former health secretary.

On Monday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown then moved Mr Coaker from the Home Office to the Department for Children, Schools and Families. David Hanson, formerly prisons minister at the Ministry of Justice, has taken his place as police minister.

Mr Johnston said: 'In the short time he was in place, Mr Coaker proved to be an extremely good communicator. He had a very good grasp of his brief from day one and he made some good friends in the police service.

'We think it is a great pity that he has had to move on and we are trying to understand the reasons why. It is extremely difficult to see the sense in moving the police minister at the same time that we get a new Home Secretary.'

Mr Johnston added that Mr Johnson's background as general secretary of the Communication Workers' Union may be beneficial to his dealings with police staff associations.