Sadiq Khan swipes that Rachel Reeves dangers ‘levelling down London’ as he warns Met may see officers minimize after police funding squeeze
Sadiq Khan delivered a public rebuke to Rachel Reeves today as he warned her spending plans risk ‘levelling down London‘.
The mayor said he was ‘disappointed’ that the review unveiled by the Chancellor had not committed to new infrastructure in the capital.
He also condemned the funding settlement for the police, saying the Met might have ‘fewer police officers’ as a result.
The blunt intervention came after claims of bitter wrangling between the Treasury and Sir Sadiq over the plans.
Despite Labour’s massive borrowing-funded spending splurge, some areas are facing tough restrictions due to the NHS sucking up huge resources.
Yvette Cooper‘s Home Office is thought to have been one of the losers, with police funding seeing limited real-terms increases despite a pledge to recruit 13,000 more officers and staff for neighbourhoods in England and Wales.
Sadiq Khan delivered a public rebuke to Rachel Reeves today as he warned her spending plans risk ‘levelling down London ‘
The mayor said he was ‘disappointed’ that the review unveiled by the Chancellor (pictured) had not committed to new infrastructure in the capital
The Spending Review documents suggested that some of the police funding would be from the council tax precept, which could rise by £14 a year for the next three years.
In a statement after Ms Reeves announced her package, Sir Sadiq said he was ‘determined to stand up for London’.
He welcomed ‘extra resources for transport and housing’ saying he had been calling for a multi-year deal for City Hall and for Transport for London.
‘However, I remain concerned that this Spending Review could result in insufficient funding for the Met and fewer police officers,’ he said.
‘It’s also disappointing that there is no commitment today from the Treasury to invest in the new infrastructure London needs.
‘Projects such as extending the Docklands Light Railway not only deliver economic growth across the country, but also tens of thousands of new affordable homes and jobs for Londoners.
‘Unless the government invests in infrastructure like this in our capital, we will not be able to build the numbers of new affordable homes Londoners need.
‘As Mayor, I’ll continue to make the case to the government that we must work together for the benefit of our capital and the whole country. The way to level up other regions will never be to level down London.
‘I’ll continue to fight for the investment we need so that we can continue building a fairer, safer and greener London for everyone.’
Chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council Gavin Stephens said: ‘It is clear that this is an incredibly challenging outcome for policing.
‘In real terms, today’s increase in funding will cover little more than annual inflationary pay increases for officers and staff.
‘Whilst we await further detail on allocation to individual forces, the amount falls far short of what is required to fund the Government’s ambitions and maintain our existing workforce.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper looks to be one of the losers from the spending review
‘A decade of underinvestment has left police forces selling buildings, borrowing money and raising local taxes to maintain the what we already have, with forces facing a projected shortfall of £1.2bn over the next two years, which is now expected to rise.
‘This is against a backdrop of increasing crime rates, with new and escalating threats from organised crime and hostile states, and more offenders being managed in the community as a result of an overstretched criminal justice system.
‘Cutting crime isn’t just about officer numbers – we need specialist skills and people, supported with the right systems and technology, to better protect communities.
‘We fully support the Government’s drive to cut crime and grow officer numbers, but for these to succeed, investment in policing must live up to the ambition.’
