The most senior police officers in the land have called out the dangerous Tory delusion on police cuts - Louise Haigh

Louise Haigh MP, Labour’s Shadow Policing Minister, responding to comments made by Met Police Chief Cressida Dick in this morning’s House of Commons Home Affairs Committee that it would be “naive” to suggest reducing the number of Police officers has had no impact, said:

“The most senior Police officers in the land have called out the dangerous Tory delusion on Police cuts.

“In the face of overwhelming evidence from senior officers and their own officials, it appears that the only people in the country who now believe the loss of 21,000 officers hasn’t made the blindest bit of difference to community safety is Theresa May’s Government.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• ·         Met police chief says it would be 'naive' to think police cuts haven't contributed to rising violent crime - https://twitter.com/AndrewSparrow/status/1003926743567224832

• ·         The NPCC’s Sara Thornton warned the same Committee that violent crime was up across the country, adding that this year’s funding settlement from central Government “wasn’t sufficient”.

• ·         The NCA’s Lynne Owen told the Committee her agency had only received a flat-cash settlement and warned of a significant stretch in capability.