Labour: Home Office Minister admits police need more resources

Responding to comments made by Home Office Minister Ben Wallace on Radio 4’s Today programme about the need for more resources for the police, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott MP said:

“The Government has been in denial, but now Home Office Ministers are being forced to admit that the police need more money. Yet there was not a penny more for neighbourhood policing in Monday’s Budget.

“You cannot keep people safe on the cheap. With violent crime rising and arrests falling on their watch, this Tory Government’s refusal to give our police services the funding they need will continue to devastate our communities.

“There is no sign of austerity ending for the police any time soon. Labour’s commitment to policing and public safety is clear. We will recruit 10,000 more police officers to keep our communities safe.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• ·         These comments from the Security Minister follow a growing number of police leaders who have gone public with warnings about the impact of austerity on policing in recent weeks, including Chief Constables of Greater Manchester, West Midlands, Merseyside and Norfolk warning of further workforce cuts as a result of demands to find another £165m in 2019-20 and up to £417m in 2020-21.

• ·         Exchange on Radio 4’s Today programme:

JH: [A] sharp increase in violent crime and a drop, a very sharp drop, a 50% drop, in the number of people being arrested for violent crime, that’s what is so scary, isn’t it?

BW: It is scary, yes.

JH: Therefore you must agree with her [Sara Thornton] surely?

BW: I agree that what we’ve got to do is try and unlock more resources for the police.

• 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

• Using a Freedom of Information request, Labour asked the NAO to provide the background data used to calculate the 30 percent reduction.

• Labour analysis show a £2.7bn real terms reduction in central government funding to police forces 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

• Speaking at the Police Superintendents Annual Conference recently, the Home Secretary conceded 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”

Sajid Javid, 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

• However, the Chancellor has reportedly dismissed suggestions there will be more funding for police at the Budget, even though Whitehall sources have said extra investment is needed “just to stand still” and ministers admit that the “police need more resources”.

Sunday Times, 21 October 2018,https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/warning-as-philip-hammond-rejects-rise-in-police-funds-xlrkr6lbc

“We can no longer say that crime spikes are Sadiq Khan’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

“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

• Police chiefs have also 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

• This has led four Chief Constables to warn of further workforce reductions and rationing of services as a consequence.

“Clearly we would always look to save money without job cuts, but the reality is 83% of our budget is people and after eight years of efficiencies across all parts of the organisation – which has seen us make reductions of £183m – there would be little alternative but to cut posts, both officers and staff.”

Ian Hopkins, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Guardian, 23 October 2018,https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/23/police-chiefs-fewer-officers-treasury-shrinks-budgets-pensions

“There is no question there will be more obvious rationing of services. The public can already see it is going on. We are already not pursuing crimes where we could find a suspect. We are doing things now that surprise me. We are struggling to deliver a service to the public. I think criminals are well aware now how stretched we are.”

Dave Thompson, Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Guardian, 23 October 2018,https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/23/police-chiefs-fewer-officers-treasury-shrinks-budgets-pensions