Govermnet cuts to fire services based on a falsehood – Karen Lee responds to latest fire incident statistics

Karen Lee MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Fire Services, responding to the Home Office’s release of fire incident statistics, said:

“These data show the government’s policy is based on a complete falsehood, you can’t trust what they say. Previously, they have attempted to justify cuts to the numbers of firefighters and fire stations on the grounds that call-outs and fires were declining. 

“But the numbers of both call-outs and of fires have been rising for years. Yet the Tories have continued to cut the fire service, and seem to have learnt nothing from the Grenfell tragedy. You can’t have safety and security on the cheap.”