Home secretary Jacqui Smith took an absolute battering during her keynote speech at this morning's Police Federation conference.
Her decision to cut police pay from 2.5% to 1.9% in last year's pay deal was simply unforgivable in police officers' eyes - all four hundred pairs of them staring back at her on the lonely stage.
Abuse was hurled from officer after officer queuing up to ask her why she had cheated them out of the pay deal they had been expecting and had been agreed from the independent arbitration ruling.
Cheat! Fraud! Betrayed! As each word was shouted so cheers and jeers came from the rest of the delegates. All that was missing was the 'Ding Ding' of a boxing bell.
The Federation's chairman Jan Berry, who will retire at this week's conference, got in on the act too. Berry's opening remarks to the delegates included alluding to the fact Smith's role as home secretary was on the ropes.
"Home Secretary this is my sixth and last Annual Conference Speech. So much has happened. Two prime ministers and counting, four home secretaries [she left a massive pause here], four police ministers, five police bills..." and so on.
Berry joked she was also surprised to see the home secretary without a stab vest. "I am sure when your private secretary reminded you of today's event you felt like reaching for the nearest stab proof vest - and perhaps slipping into old habits and lighting up to calm your nerves.
"But as you have reassured us, you have moved on from these past indiscretions, your recent crimes have been more for the serious fraud office than the drug squad!"
At which point the audience belly-laughed and whooped at the remarks of the woman that has led their Federation for the past six years.
So respected is Berry, she received a standing ovation at the end of her speech. Sitting on the press bench covering the event the PCs around me thought I should even stand myself - the emotion in the room was catching.
Quite the opposite happened for Smith, who was pathetically clapped on finishing her monologue about policing and pay.
So who came out the victor? A points victory for the Police Service, but they failed to land a real knockout blow.
