By . Stephen Wright . Two leading officials at the . scandal-hit police union dramatically quit yesterday, just days after it . faced fresh, disturbing questions over its role in the Plebgate affair. Steve . Williams, chairman of the Police Federation, and general secretary Ian . Rennie resigned days after the Daily Mail revealed it had hired a PR . firm to mastermind a ‘guerrilla’ and ‘blitzkrieg’ campaign against the . Government. In addition, the Mail has run a series of investigations revealing: . Quit: Chairman Steve Williams and General Secretary Ian Rennie will step down, plunging the Police Federation into crisis after a turbulent period . Both . Mr Williams and Mr Rennie were aware of the decision to award a . £10,000-a-month deal to a controversial public relations company to . oppose Coalition plans on police pay and reform. The . ‘guerrilla tactics’ deal had been agreed just weeks before the now . infamous Plebgate incident in September 2012, involving then chief whip . Andrew Mitchell and a policeman at the gates of Downing Street. Critics . of the Federation argue that the union mercilessly exploited Mr . Mitchell’s bust up at the gates as part of its ongoing campaign against . ministers who wanted to reform its working practices. Last . week Police Minister Damian Green said that the Federation – which . represents 125,000 rank and file officers – should put its house in . order or face tough new laws forcing it to reform. Shock jock: Jon Gaunt was hired to wage 'guerilla war' on ministers . Mr . Williams and Mr Rennie will leave in late May after the union’s annual . conference – plunging one of Britain’s most powerful staff bodies into . crisis. Last night their decision to leave at such a sensitive time was greeted with surprise by senior politicians. Home . Affairs Committee chairman Keith Vaz will today hear evidence about Sir . David Normington’s highly critical review of the union which called for . top-to-bottom reform and an end to a bullying culture. Last . night Mr Vaz said: ‘I am amazed and surprised by the proposed . retirement of two people who have been instrumental in instigating . reform in the Police Federation. ‘These . retirements will leave this important organisation with a huge vacuum . and leaderless at a time when they need strong direction. It will remain . to be seen if the Federation will continue on the path of change.’ Home . Secretary Theresa May said: ‘As chairman, Steve Williams understood . that the Police Federation needs to change, and I am sorry that he will . be retiring in May. ‘If the . Federation is to have public legitimacy, the Normington recommendations . now need to be implemented, in full and in good time.’ Pointedly, Mrs . May made no comment on Mr Rennie’s resignation. Insiders . predicted last night that further heads would roll over the Federation . scandal. A source said: ‘There are a lot of unresolved issues at the . Federation, not least the offshore bank accounts, outrageous spending on . credit cards and general culture of secrecy.’ Details of the ‘guerrilla . tactics’ plan were confirmed by a former senior Police Federation . official when she appeared before the Home Affairs Committee last week. Fiona . McElroy – who says she was sacked after advocating reform at the . Federation – said the anti-Government plot was outlined in a contract . handed to a public relations company run by former DJ Jon Gaunt in 2012. The deal, agreed by national Federation leaders, lasted only two months . but Mr Gaunt continued to provide PR advice to three branches of the . Federation in the Midlands, all central to the ‘Plebgate’ storm. But . cracks in the Federation’s unity had started to emerge in January, when . an independent review of the union by former Home Office mandarin Sir . David concluded that the organisation had a staggering £95million in . reserves and assets. Scandal: Mr Gaunt provided PR advice to three branches of the Federation in the Midlands, all central to the 'Plebgate' storm . Investigators . found there were centrally held funds of £29.5million and those held by . branch boards stood at around £35million, but there was also another . estimated £30million in separate accounts, details of which were not . given to the national heads of the organisation. In . a statement Mr Williams, who according to Miss McElroy’s testimony had . previously been ‘bullied and ridiculed’ by senior colleagues, . acknowledged the union had faced a ‘turbulent period’. The . chairman, who has been in the post barely a year, said: ‘When I took up . office it was quite clear that as an organisation we were not fit for . purpose and that is why I … commissioned an independent review … It . delivered a hard-hitting report that clearly showed that we were not . delivering what our members wanted, were failing in key areas and that . many of our practices were outdated. I have made no secret of my fears . that unless we get this right and embrace the change required others . will do it to us, a view echoed recently by the Policing Minister, . Damian Green.’ Mr Rennie, . who had been in the post for six years and was regarded as a hardliner . on police pay and conditions, said he was stepping down after it became . clear he no longer had the support of a number of senior colleagues. Yesterday it was claimed that the national Police Federation was set to reject demands for ‘top-to-bottom’ reforms. Luxury: An aerial view of the police federation headquarters 'Federation House' in Leatherhead in Surrey which has a swimming pool and a bar .
Chairman Steve Williams and General Secretary Ian Rennie will step down .
Follows criticism of lavish spending and drunken excess of officials .
Pair were also aware of £10,000 campaign to oppose coalition reforms .
Tactics had been agreed just weeks before the Plebgate scandal .
The union has invested vast sums in mysterious off-shore bank accounts; .
Alleged lavish spending on credit cards; .
A senior Federation official is a self-confessed bigamist; .
The drunken excesses of some officials; .
A Freemason’s lodge was created for the Federation’s £26million luxury HQ in Leatherhead, Surrey.
By . Stephen Wright . Two leading officials at the . scandal-hit police union dramatically quit yesterday, just days after it . faced fresh, disturbing questions over its role in the Plebgate affair. Steve . Williams, chairman of the Police Federation, and general secretary Ian . Rennie resigned days after the Daily Mail revealed it had hired a PR . firm to mastermind a ‘guerrilla’ and ‘blitzkrieg’ campaign against the . Government. In addition, the Mail has run a series of investigations revealing: . Quit: Chairman Steve Williams and General Secretary Ian Rennie will step down, plunging the Police Federation into crisis after a turbulent period . Both . Mr Williams and Mr Rennie were aware of the decision to award a . £10,000-a-month deal to a controversial public relations company to . oppose Coalition plans on police pay and reform. The . ‘guerrilla tactics’ deal had been agreed just weeks before the now . infamous Plebgate incident in September 2012, involving then chief whip . Andrew Mitchell and a policeman at the gates of Downing Street. Critics . of the Federation argue that the union mercilessly exploited Mr . Mitchell’s bust up at the gates as part of its ongoing campaign against . ministers who wanted to reform its working practices. Last . week Police Minister Damian Green said that the Federation – which . represents 125,000 rank and file officers – should put its house in . order or face tough new laws forcing it to reform. Shock jock: Jon Gaunt was hired to wage 'guerilla war' on ministers . Mr . Williams and Mr Rennie will leave in late May after the union’s annual . conference – plunging one of Britain’s most powerful staff bodies into . crisis. Last night their decision to leave at such a sensitive time was greeted with surprise by senior politicians. Home . Affairs Committee chairman Keith Vaz will today hear evidence about Sir . David Normington’s highly critical review of the union which called for . top-to-bottom reform and an end to a bullying culture. Last . night Mr Vaz said: ‘I am amazed and surprised by the proposed . retirement of two people who have been instrumental in instigating . reform in the Police Federation. ‘These . retirements will leave this important organisation with a huge vacuum . and leaderless at a time when they need strong direction. It will remain . to be seen if the Federation will continue on the path of change.’ Home . Secretary Theresa May said: ‘As chairman, Steve Williams understood . that the Police Federation needs to change, and I am sorry that he will . be retiring in May. ‘If the . Federation is to have public legitimacy, the Normington recommendations . now need to be implemented, in full and in good time.’ Pointedly, Mrs . May made no comment on Mr Rennie’s resignation. Insiders . predicted last night that further heads would roll over the Federation . scandal. A source said: ‘There are a lot of unresolved issues at the . Federation, not least the offshore bank accounts, outrageous spending on . credit cards and general culture of secrecy.’ Details of the ‘guerrilla . tactics’ plan were confirmed by a former senior Police Federation . official when she appeared before the Home Affairs Committee last week. Fiona . McElroy – who says she was sacked after advocating reform at the . Federation – said the anti-Government plot was outlined in a contract . handed to a public relations company run by former DJ Jon Gaunt in 2012. The deal, agreed by national Federation leaders, lasted only two months . but Mr Gaunt continued to provide PR advice to three branches of the . Federation in the Midlands, all central to the ‘Plebgate’ storm. But . cracks in the Federation’s unity had started to emerge in January, when . an independent review of the union by former Home Office mandarin Sir . David concluded that the organisation had a staggering £95million in . reserves and assets. Scandal: Mr Gaunt provided PR advice to three branches of the Federation in the Midlands, all central to the 'Plebgate' storm . Investigators . found there were centrally held funds of £29.5million and those held by . branch boards stood at around £35million, but there was also another . estimated £30million in separate accounts, details of which were not . given to the national heads of the organisation. In . a statement Mr Williams, who according to Miss McElroy’s testimony had . previously been ‘bullied and ridiculed’ by senior colleagues, . acknowledged the union had faced a ‘turbulent period’. The . chairman, who has been in the post barely a year, said: ‘When I took up . office it was quite clear that as an organisation we were not fit for . purpose and that is why I … commissioned an independent review … It . delivered a hard-hitting report that clearly showed that we were not . delivering what our members wanted, were failing in key areas and that . many of our practices were outdated. I have made no secret of my fears . that unless we get this right and embrace the change required others . will do it to us, a view echoed recently by the Policing Minister, . Damian Green.’ Mr Rennie, . who had been in the post for six years and was regarded as a hardliner . on police pay and conditions, said he was stepping down after it became . clear he no longer had the support of a number of senior colleagues. Yesterday it was claimed that the national Police Federation was set to reject demands for ‘top-to-bottom’ reforms. Luxury: An aerial view of the police federation headquarters 'Federation House' in Leatherhead in Surrey which has a swimming pool and a bar .
Chairman Steve Williams and General Secretary Ian Rennie will step down, plunging the Police Both . Mr Williams and Mr Rennie were aware of The . ‘guerrilla tactics’ deal had been agreed just weeks before the now . infamous Plebgate least the offshore bank accounts, outrageous spending on . credit cards and general culture of Federation . official when she appeared before Leatherhead in Surrey which has a swimming pool