MP’s attack over police budget cuts
A RUNCORN MP has slammed the Government for slashing police budgets as he warned that the findings of a spending watchdog’s report should serve as a ‘wake -up call’ to ministers.
Mike Amesbury, Weaver Vale, Labour, was speaking after the National Audit Office (NAO) published a study that found forces are ‘struggling to deliver effective services to the public’ due to funding and staffing cuts.
According to the report, Cheshire Constabulary’s funding has been cut by 17% overall since 2010, while its central Government funding has fallen by 30%.
The county’s drop was marginally better than England and Wales as a whole, where the average cut was 19%.
Northumbria, West Midlands and Merseyside police forces have been the worst hit, suffering reductions of 25%, 24% and 23% respectively.
Surrey has had the lowest reduction, on 11%, despite its central Government grants being slashed by 29%, suggesting other sources such as council tax increases have cushioned the blow.
Mr Amesbury’s comments came on Tuesday, just four days after 18-year-old Eddie O’Rourke was stabbed to death in Runcorn, close to where Mr Amesbury’s Weaver Vale constituency begins.
Speaking in the Commons Chamber, Mr Amesbury said: “With front-line police officers cut by over 22,000 since 2010 and police forces such as mine in Cheshire having their budgets slashed by a massive £56m – that is a fact – surely the National Audit Office report exposing the ● crisis in funding for our police service is a wake-up call to the Treasury.”
Replying, Liz Truss, Chief Secretary To The Treasury, claimed it had ‘protected budgets’ but that the nature of crime was ‘changing and forces have to adjust’.
She also highlighted a 2% pay rise for officers, a decision which has since been branded a ‘punch on the nose’ by MET police chief Cressida Dick.
Speaking outside the chamber, he said: “This is a real public safety issue.
“Crime is one of the things constituents are most concerned about, and having been on patrol with officers and PCSOs in my constituency several times I can see first-hand the challenges they’re facing to hold the line.
“The Government should listen to this warning form its own watchdog and take action to fund our forces properly.”
Mr Amesbury’s comments were echoed by Cheshire’s Police And Crime Commissioner David Keane.
He said: “In Cheshire, we’ve seen a 37% real term cut to our policing budget since 2010.
“I am doing everything I can to protect front line policing and make back office functions more efficient but our already thin blue line is now at breaking point.
“Crime is becoming more complex and we need increased investment from government to tackle the challenges we face.
“Our police officers are working harder than ever with increased pressure and ever diminishing resources, yet the Government ignored the recommendation of an independent board to give them a 3%.
“Instead, they recommended that they should only be given a 2% rise which is to be funded entirely by already stretched local police budgets.
“This shows central Government’s lack of understanding of the difficult position police services across the country are in and I am concerned about the long-term impact this could have on our communities.
“I will continue to work with other elected representatives locally to campaign for a fairer funding settlement for policing in Cheshire to allow us to put in place the necessary resources to protect residents.”