‘High time we sorted out police funding’ admits Tory MP

14 February 2023

West Mercia Police Federation has welcomed the comments of a Conservative MP who told Parliament: “It is high time we sort out the national police funding formula.”

Andrew Selous, the South West Bedfordshire MP and a former minister, criticised the “gross unfairness” of the police funding formula after it was announced that an increase in police budgets this year would come from a rise in the council tax.

Responding to the comments, West Mercia Police Federation interim chair Pete Nightingale said: “The former minister was quite right – police funding does needs sorting out, and fast. Unfortunately, the Government has not done it during their 13 years in power and from the looks of it has no immediate intention to do so.

“While I welcome the promised additional £287 million across England and Wales, it is disappointing to see that the money will come from an increase in council taxes. During a time of soaring energy and food bills, to hike council tax seems particularly ill-timed.”

Pete went on: “What we need is for a fair funding settlement that provides long-term security for forces and distributes money evenly across the country. The problem with leaving it to PCCs and the council tax precept is that the amount of new money raised is dependent on the wealth of an area. The worse off households are the harsher the impact of increased bills, I just don’t think the Government is going about this fairly.”

During the Commons debate, policing minister Chris Philp said the total police funding settlement for England and Wales for 2023-24 would be £17.2 billion, which would include half a billion of Home Office spending.

He urged PCCs and chief constables to seek efficiencies before resorting to higher council tax premiums.

But Labour’s Shadow Home Office minister Sarah Jones MP hit back at the decision to raise the precept limit saying the Government’s claim of “increased flexibility is masking the truth of a council tax hike.” She said officers were “demoralised and worn out” and arrest and charge rates were plummeting.

Ms Jones added: “Inflation is soaring at 10.5 per cent but rather than properly deal with this economic crisis, ministers have chosen to heap the burden on to hard-pressed local taxpayers through the precept.”