Police chairmen 'silenced for exposing cancel culture' handed major win as union drops legal challenge against them

In October 2024, Rick Prior, then head of the Metropolitan Police Federation branch, was suspended after he told GB News his officers were avoiding "proactive policing" due to fears of being labelled racist.

He was then sacked from the role after comments he made to The Telegraph that he would have been "treated more fairly in North Korea".

Richard Cooke, chairman of the West Midlands Police Federation, was suspended from his branch after he disputed online comments that his police force was "institutionally racist".

Both men were supported by the Free Speech Union to bring forward a judicial review of their treatment, and in January the High Court found that both suspensions were deemed to be unlawful and breached their freedom of expression rights.

Mr Prior was able to fundraise over £50,000 for his legal defence with the support of the general secretary of the Free Speech Union, Lord Toby Young of Acton, who described his suspension as a "disgrace".

In a statement, a PFEW spokesman said: "We have decided that the interests of the federation and its members are no longer served by pursuing this course of action.

"The federation remains resolute in its commitment to upholding standards, challenging poor behaviour and maintaining confidence in policing."

In October 2024, Rick Prior, who was elected to represent 30,000 officers, told The People's Channel: "There’s a striking crisis of confidence at the moment within policing in general and certainly within the Met Police.

"Officers are withdrawing from any kind of proactive policing for fear of falling foul of the IOPC [Independent Office of Police Conduct] or a vexatious or malicious complaint."

These comments led to his suspension which prevented him from running in the next set of union elections and were said to be "discriminatory in nature".

Richard Cooke rebutted claims made in a Channel 4 news report that racism and misogyny and were widespread in West Midlands Police.

He responded by saying the police force was an "anti-racist organisation".

He said claims that West Midlands Police had done nothing to tackle racism were "nonsense - and so was the report, but these reporters rarely bother checking their sources".

Mr Cooke told GB News after the High Court ruling that his suspension had "a real bad effect" on his family.

Reacting to the news the appeal had been dropped, Mr Prior told The Telegraph: "Today’s statement follows months of considerable distress for myself and Richard Cooke.

"We were both unlawfully removed from our positions as Federation Branch Chairs of two of the largest forces in England and Wales, for advocating on behalf of our members.

"But we have not received an apology and it will be the PFEW members who are left to pick up the considerable legal bill for this entirely avoidable situation."