MP, Labour’s Shadow Home
Secretary, responding to ’s comments at the APCC And NPCC
Partnership Summit, said:
“Police chiefs have taken the extraordinary step of taking the
Home Office to court after being left to find an extra £165m at
short notice for pension payments and yet the Home Secretary
continues to ignore their warnings about the impact of Tory cuts
on policing.
“The entire Government is in denial. By acknowledging that
violent crime is rising on their watch, but refusing to give our
police forces the funding they need, this Tory Government’s
assault on policing will continue to devastate our
communities.”
Ends
Notes to editors:
- · Police
chiefs were recently been told to find another £165m in 2019-20
and up to £417m in 2020-21 as a result of an overhaul of pension
schemes announced recently by the Treasury.
Times, 11 October 2018,https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ten-thousand-police-at-risk-in-600m-cash-crunch-kj9jwmfqr
- · They
have now threatened to take the Government to court over the
cuts.
Guardian, 30 October 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/30/police-threaten-tories-with-legal-action-over-forces-budget-cuts
- · The
Home Secretary was asked today whether the Home Office would now
cover the £165m cost for 2019-20, but refused to do so.
Police Oracle, 31 October 2-018, https://www.policeoracle.com/news/police_finance/2018/Oct/31/Home-Secretary-unable-to-answer-PCCs-pension-cost-question_99419.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
- · In his
speech today, the Home Secretary also acknowledged that violent
crime has risen on his watch.
“There’s of course also been a worrying and unacceptable recent
rise in serious violent crime.”
, speech to NPCC/APCC
Annual conference, 31 October 2018, https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/home-secretarys-speech-to-apcc-and-npcc-joint-summit-2018?utm_source=ba92605f-d92e-4a48-8e19-46aee582e1e8&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate
-
· recently conceding that
“there is a need for more resources”.
“I do recognise the pressures on policing. I’ll fight on the
police’s behalf so you have the resources you need to do your
jobs effectively… I recognise there is a need for more resources.
I don’t think the increases over the past 3 years have been
enough”
, Police Superintendents Annual
Conference, 11 September 2018,https://news.sky.com/story/sajid-javid-admits-police-do-not-have-enough-resources-as-he-faces-pay-anger-11495380
- · While
ministers and Whitehall sources have said extra investment is
needed “just to stand still” and ministers admit that the “police
need more resources”.
“We can no longer say that crime spikes are ’s fault when it is rising in
Norfolk and Devon as well. We are at the point where we need more
money just to stand still.”
Whitehall source, Sunday Times, 21 October
2018, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/warning-as-philip-hammond-rejects-rise-in-police-funds-xlrkr6lbc
“There has been a major shift in the threats we are facing from
organised crime, terrorism and Russia. That’s just a fact. The
police need more resources.”
Unnamed minister, Sunday Times, 21 October
2018, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/warning-as-philip-hammond-rejects-rise-in-police-funds-xlrkr6lbc
- · The
NAO recently calculated that central government funding to
commissioners has fallen by 30 percent in real terms since
2010-11.
NAO, Financial Sustainability of Police Forces in England and
Wales, 11 September 2018, https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Financial-sustainability-of-police-forces-in-England-and-Wales-2018.pdf
