You have to love force budgeting.

I am currently waiting to see if I will get a temporary promotion. The sergeant I will be working with has no issues with my ability - The inspector feels I am more than suitable - The Chief inspector has to check to see if they can afford to pay me the extra 70p an hour.

Personally I dont give a damn over the 70p and want it for my PDR and career progression so offered to do it for free - but its apparently illegal for them not to pay it.

The position will last no more than 6months so at worse it will cost about £700.

Its already agreed that during the time I will be continuing my current work as well as the extra management duties so they will have me doing 2 jobs but dont know if they can justify the cost.

Yet at the same time this is the department which has 5 brand new computers that have not been used since they where installed 6 months ago. They spent £200,000 on the biggest waste of money ever (cant say what - will reveal my force). To top it off though we've just been given a job that will result in an extra £25million extra funding - ok that wont all go to our dept but no doubt a good cut will be.

£700 in police funding terms is pittance, they probably spend more than that on tea and biscuits each time theres a SMT meeting, but it means the money is going to a real worker then its suddenly a huge expenditure.