Home Secretary repeats funding pledge

4 June 2018

Leicestershire Police Federation chair Tiff Lynch has welcomed the latest commitment by the Home Secretary to increase police resources.

Speaking on Andrew Marr’s weekly politics show on the BBC yesterday, Sajid Javid said he would make those plans his ‘number one priority’ in the next spending review.

Having strongly supported calls for increased spending on the nation’s painfully stretched police resources at the annual Police Federation conference in Birmingham last month, Mr Javid was again quizzed on his commitment to make those words a reality by the programme’s host.

“It (his speech at conference) was more than a hint. It was recognition that our police have an incredibly difficult job to do and they are seeing rising demand,” says Mr Javid.

“We have already increased resources during this financial year dramatically to the tune of £460m throughout England and Wales.

“We have got to make sure they are properly resourced I want to make that a priority of mine in the next spending review. We have not started the spending review process but when we do, I am sure that the Chancellor will learn of my views.”

Tiff reacted by saying: “Mr Javid announced that he was listening to our wishes in Birmingham and to hear him reiterate those views outside of conference is very welcome.

“He will already know how stretched police forces up and down the country are in 2018 and he will also know there is little time to waste in putting that right if we are to be confident we can protect our communities.

“That said, Federations are aware of the task he faces inside his own cabinet to release the sort of funding we need, so it goes without saying that we are right behind him when those talks begin in the Government’s spending review.”

Mr Javid has also announced a new counter-terrorism strategy called CONTEST involving new legislation which will help police disrupt terrorism plots earlier.

It will see MI5 sharing much more of its information with other organisations earlier on to make sure there is a much higher chance of disrupting any plans for terror.

Mr Javid insisted neighbourhood policing has a huge role to play in this.

“My number one priority will always be to keep the country safe and we are doing everything we can to prevent terror on our streets,” he says.